NBA Rookie Rankings: A way-too-early look at the ROY race after Summer League

The Las Vegas Summer League has come to an end. The Miami Heat took home the championship after beating the Memphis Grizzlies, 120-118, in overtime.

Rookie Kel’el Ware (the No. 15 pick) played every game for the Heat and tallied 21 points, 10 rebounds and one block in the final game. He seems like the perfect fit in Miami, bringing some added rim protection alongside Bam Adebayo and looking fluid in the pick-and-roll set.

Unlike Ware, most of the top rookies shut it down early during Summer League, playing up to only three games. While it was a small sample size, teams and fans should be excited about some of the players coming in. Here’s a way-too-early rookie rankings following Summer League and heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Draft slot: 3

Sheppard played four games for the Rockets and looked like a seasoned guard with the NBA’s spacing. He took great shots and showed his long range from 3. He also was consistent from midrange, rising for jumpers in the lane off high ball screens.

A 6-foot-2 guard, Sheppard uses his 6-7 wingspan to his advantage on defense, shooting the gaps, getting deflections and blocking shots. His minutes on the court during the regular season might not come immediately while playing behind Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet, but he’s shown he can impact the game positively on both ends of the floor. Sheppard averaged 20 points and 5.3 assists per game during Summer League.

Draft slot: 4

Castle played only one game in Vegas after suffering a wrist injury, but it was enough to show he can be productive as a lead guard. In his one summer league game, Castle finished with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes, while his outside shot looked promising with signs of improvement.

Castle’s defense is what separates him from other guards in this rookie class. He can contain the perimeter and keep opposing guards in front of him. It’s easy to see how he and Victor Wembanyama can anchor the Spurs’ defense this season, while Castle also has the speed and court vision to lead breaks and get Wembanyama more touches.

Castle will be playing behind Chris Paul and has an opportunity to learn…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-rookie-rankings-a-way-too-early-look-at-the-roy-race-after-summer-league-171237108.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-07-23 17:12:37

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