NBA Summer League: Top Storylines for Friday’s Games
After a months-long wait from the end of their respective seasons, several of the top NBA Draft selectees are set to debut for their newest teams.
Here’s a look at the top storylines on the day:
Victor Wembanyama’s Debut
Victor Wembanyama has long been the best basketball prospect in the world. But after being selected by San Antonio first overall in June, he officially exited the prospect realm and entered the NBA.
Now, he’ll make his long-awaited debut versus second overall pick Brandon Miller and the Hornets at 8 p.m. in Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The 7-foot-4 phenom isn’t likely to see much action at Summer League, so Friday’s bout could be all we see until the 2023-24 regular season.
Scoot Henderson Versus Amen Thompson
Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson took drastically different routes to the NBA, but are set to face off on Friday in another highly anticipated matchup.
Both are high-flyers with innate athleticism, but Henderson took the G League Ignite route while Thompson blazed trails with the Overtime Elite.
We’ve seen Henderson in G League action for quite some time. But Thompson’s debut will be watched closely as he comes from a relatively un-scouted league in the OTE.
Lottery Shooters set to Play
A pair of lottery shooters drafted back-to-back are set to make their debuts with their respective teams: Gradey Dick and Jordan Hawkins.
Dick, the newest member of the Toronto Raptors, was drafted 13th overall. While Hawkins was selected just one pick later to the New Orleans Pelicans. Both are sure to have their fill of shots on Friday, and all eyes will be on them to see how they can impact the game in other ways.
The Pelicans take on Minnesota at 3:30 p.m. in the first game of the day, and Toronto takes on Chicago at 5:30 p.m.
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