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I just returned from an exciting first weekend at the 2K25 Las Vegas Summer League! Let’s jump right into five players who stood out and made a splash. Keep an eye out next week for a full review of all the summer league standouts and disappointments, but for now, here are my top performers from opening weekend.
The third overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft was one of the most impressive players I witnessed in Vegas this past weekend.
At only 19 years old, the rookie has the composure of a veteran, and it’s evident he has a bright future in fantasy basketball. Sheppard put on a clinic, averaging 20.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 3s, 3.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game across three contests in Vegas.
The counting stats were stellar, but given his usage rate (25%) and floor-general responsibilities, it was great to see him maintain his efficiency, shooting 49% from the field (16 att/g), 38.5% on 3s (4.3 att/g) and 78% from the charity stripe.
Sheppard scores in various ways — penetrating defenses for crafty layups, catch-and-shoot and transition 3s, but his pull-up game in the mid-range, off pick-and-roll, really stood out. It gave me Mark Price/Steve Nash vibes. And Mark Price even co-signed it.
Sheppard possesses that ideal guard skillset for fantasy — scoring, rebounding, assists, 3s and steals, all while doing it efficiently. He has star potential, but with the Rockets so deep in talent, we’ll have to see how Rockets HC Ime Udoka plans to get his rookie valuable floor time. He should be the first selection off the board if you’re doing a 2024 rookie dynasty draft.
You can tell what type of time Jaquez Jr. was on after he left the Team USA Select Team to join the Heat at Summer League. He played the fifth-most minutes as a rookie in the league last year, so to see him on the Miami Summer League roster was surprising, but he did precisely what he intended: he dominated.
The Heat are 2-0 with Jaquez Jr. in the lineup, and he averaged 26.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 3s and 1.5 steals in 28 minutes per game. He was near-auto from the field, converting 58% of his field-goal attempts, 43% of his…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/5-standouts-at-nba-2k25-las-vegas-summer-league-who-could-make-a-fantasy-impact-in-2024-180344873.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-07-16 18:03:44
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