Three Cavs Standouts From NBA Summer League

Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr., and Emoni Bates, all made an impact with the Cleveland Cavaliers during NBA Summer League.
Three Cavs Standouts From NBA Summer League
Three Cavs Standouts From NBA Summer League /

The Cleveland Cavaliers' young core impressed the NBA world and won the championship Summer League Championship on Monday night with a perfect 6-0 record.

It's hard to choose just three players stood out the most. But these were the ones that really made an impact when on the floor. 

Sam Merrill

The team leader in points per game for the Cavs was Sam Merrill as he averaged 20.4 points a game while shooting 45 from the field. The main reason he scored this much was because of how well he shot from three.

Merrill shot 46 percent from behind the arc on 11.2 attempts a game. This included when he made eight threes against the Memphis Grizzlies.

It'll be hard for Merrill to crack the rotation this season, but he's certainly raised some eyebrows in the organization and around the league. 

Craig Porter Jr. 

Just because a player goes undrafted, doesn't mean they don't have anything to give. Craig Porter Jr. is the perfect example of a player who may be overlooked by some teams but still has a lot to give.

Porter played in all six games for the Cavs and averaged 12.0 points per game, 5.3 assists, and 7.3 rebounds. Essentially, he did a little bit of everything when he was on the floor and made his presence felt.

The Witchita State product may be on a two-way deal right now, but Porter could also be playing in some big moments for Cleveland at some point this season. 

Emoni Bates

This last one was a tough one. It was between Emoni Bates and Isaiah Mobley, but in the end, I went with Bates. This is why:

There were a number of questions about Bates when he was drafted by the Cavs. This is one of the reasons why he fell to Cleveland in the second round. 

In the end, Emoni was incredible on offense and averaged 17.2 points a game, and shot 44 percent from the floor. But he was just as effective on defense too. He averaged just under a block and steal per game. Just take a look at this block in the championship game:

Bates played as well as anyone could imagine and he's setting himself to have a nice season with the Charge/Cavs.

--------

You may also like:

First Look At Max Strus With The Cavaliers

Emoni Bates Proving To Be The Right Pick For Cavaliers

Sam Merrill Catches Fire In Cavs Summer League Game Against Grizzlies

Three Cavaliers To Watch For In NBA Summer League

ESPN Insider Believes Donovan Mitchell Is A Name To Watch At Next Year's Trade Deadline

-----

SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for more coverage of the Cavaliers!

Follow our comprehensive Cavs coverage through Sports Illustrated's FanNation network here:

Website: www.cavsinsider.com

Photo Credit © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK


Published