The Top Three Storylines from 2023 NBA Summer League

The 2023 Summer League was chock full of storylines, as the league’s newest crop got their first chance at NBA action.

There were risers and sliders in the 2023 NBA Draft, but Las Vegas offers as even a playing field as we’ll see for the class, with most prospects getting plenty of run on their new teams.

Here were three of the top storylines from the event:

Wembanyama is the Real Deal

After getting off to a slow start in his first NBA action — just nine points on two-for-13 shooting — top pick Victor Wembanyama showcased his full arsenal in his second and final game.

The 7-foot-4 frenchman poured on 27 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks and one steal in just 27 minutes of play against the Trail Blazers. He shot nine-for-14 overall and his on two of his four 3-point attempts.

Suffice to say, any bad storylines about his skill following his first outing were put to rest for the remainder of the summer.

Cam Whitmore Wins MVP After Slide

After sliding all the way to No. 20 on draft night, well below his projected range, Cam Whitmore balled out in Summer League action.

He earned overall MVP, following in the footsteps of Keegan Murray, Kyle Kuzma, Lonzo Ball and more. In his first five games, he averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 3.0 steals en route to the award.

Thompson Twins Prove they Belong

There were lots of questions surrounding the Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, and whether their skill would translate after playing in the Overtime Elite for the last year.

And nearly all of those were put to rest.

All it took from Rockets’ guard Amen was one game, featuring 16 points, five assists, four rebounds, four blocks and three steals, to figure out he belonged. Ausar, with more time to rev up with his health permitting, fared even better as the event went on.

Regardless, its clear the twin’s athleticism translated well to Summer League, and is sure to do the same in the NBA.

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