Summer League Look-Back

The NBA Summer League has now come and gone. For the 13 players from WCC schools who participated in the Summer League, their hopes of landing a job in the association now rest on film, stats, and the memories of NBA coaches and staff. The following is a brief overview of these players 2012 Summer League performances and their statistics, arranged subjectively by me.


1. Austin Daye: Gonzaga 2007-2009, Detroit Pistons 2009-present.

Daye has played for Detroit for the past three years. He's appeared in 182 games for the Pistons, started in 24 of them, and holds a career average of 5.9 points per game. Not bad for a bench player, but not the production the Pistons hoped for from the 15th pick in the 2009 draft. Which is why the Pistons keep sending Daye to the Summer League to work on his game.

Daye's averages, click for larger size.

 

Austin Daye's Summer League highlights.

2. Adam Morrison: Gonzaga 2003-2006.

Morrison's journey to, thru, and out of the NBA is well known. At 28, the 2006 college player of the year is looking to have one last shot at making something more than joke-worthy of his NBA career. Morrison played first for the Brooklyn Nets in the smaller Orlando Summer League before joining the Los Angeles Clippers in Las Vegas. Watching him play in a Clippers uniform was as if someone had turned back the clock on Morrison, he played like he did as a junior for the Zags.

Morrison's averages (with Clippers only), click for larger size.

Adam Morrison Highlights (With the Nets).

3. Robert Sacre: Gonzaga 2007-2012, LA Lakers draft pick in 2012.

Robert Sacre had a solid yet far from spectacular Lakers debut in Las Vegas. Despite shooting poorly over his five games Sacre impressed the Lakers staff. Lakers owner Jerry Buss had this to say during the Lakers vs. Clippers game, "Him as a back-up big man, I think he can do it. I think he can make the squad".

Sacre's averages, click for larger size.

4.  Jimmer Fredette: Brigham Young 2007-2011, Sacramento Kings 2011-present.

Jimmer's career at BYU ended just months before the Cougars entered the WCC, but I'm including him none the less (both because he had a prolific career for BYU and because no WCC-era Cougar played in the Summer League). He had a rocky rookie year in Sacramento but made a case for  second season minutes in Vegas.

Fredette's averages, click for larger size.

Jimmer goes off against Houston.

5. Drew Viney: Loyola Marymount 2009-2012.


The Miami Heat picked up Drew Viney for their summer league team and he did not disappoint. The undrafted forward was a key spark for the Heat in their 3-2 summer league campaign. The Heat are coming off an NBA championship season, so they don't exactly need much help. However Viney's strong showing in Vegas (second in scoring for the Heat behind only Norris Cole, who frequently came off the bench for the Heat last season) should translate into a spot on their training camp roster.

Viney's averages, click for full size.

6. Jeremy Pargo: Gonzaga 2005-2009, Memphis Grizzlies 2011-present.

When a guy who is guaranteed to make $1million with an NBA team next season ranks sixth on a list of the 13 WCC players in the NBA Summer League, you have to know the WCC is a league on the rise. Pargo went undrafted in 2009, played a few seasons overseas in Israel, including a particularly successful season with Euroleague powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv before signing a two year deal with the Grizzlies last December. Unfortunately for Pargo, he seems to be stuck at the bottom of what could be a four point guard deep roster in Memphis.

Pargo's averages, click for full size.

Jeremy Pargo embarrasses 3/5ths of the Wizards defenders.

7. Luke Sikma: Portland 2007-2011.

Seven time NBA all star Jack Sikma is an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and that's  probably why his son, Luke, grabbed a roster spot for the Timberwolves' squad in Vegas. I never liked the special treatment the son of the coach (who was normally worse than most of us but given the best opportunities) would receive on my little league teams but I don't think Sikma had that same negative effect on his fellow Timberwolves. In under 15 minutes a game Sikma pulled down the fourth most rebounds on the team and had the second highest shooting percentage (the highest shooting percentage, 100%, belonged to a player who took only three shots, but unfortunately that does count as the team high).

Sikma's averages, click for larger size.

8. Steven Gray: Gonzaga 2007-2011.

Gray was the most recent in a long line of great guards to come thru Gonzaga. Despite his place on that list and his ability to play the game of basketball, I didn't picture him playing professionally. His off the court renaissance man lifestyle seemed to lend itself better to some other profession, but none the less he is playing professional ball, last season in Latvia, and this summer for the Washington Wizards.

Gray's averages, click for larger size.

Gray knocks down a 3 from the corner.

9. Mychel Thompson: Pepperdine 2007-2011, Cleveland Cavaliers 2012.

Mychel Thompson, son of NBA great Mychal and brother of NBA player Klay, had a stint with the Cavs last season, including picking up a few starts. He played for the New York Knicks in Vegas. Despite an only mediocre showing, Thompson has a better shot in the long term to land back on an NBA team thanks to his familial connection to the association and his time in the D-league which have led to him being more visible to NBA staffs.

Thompson's averages, click for larger size.

10. T.J. Campbell: Portland 2008-2010.

Campbell played last season for the Canton Charge of the D-League. For the Summer League Campbell upgraded to the NBA team in that TV market, the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played alongside former WCC foe, Rob Jones.

Campbell's averages, click for larger size.

11. Diamon Simpson: Saint Mary's 2005-2009, Houston Rockets 2012.

Simpson had a roster spot for the Rockets during the latter part of the 2012 season but never stepped on the court during a game. Simpson got his chance to wear his Rockets jersey and pick up minutes in Vegas, as the Rockets decided to give him another look.

Simpson's averages, click for larger size.

12. Mickey McConnell: Saint Mary's 2007-2011.

The 2011 WCC player of the year spent last season playing in Italy. This summer he joined forces with the 2006 WCC (and national) player of the year, Adam Morrison, on the L.A. Clippers. McConnell did pretty well, considering the Clippers don't really need another point guard behind CP3 and Eric Bledsoe (who has a year of NBA experience and was their starter in the summer league).

McConnell's averages, click for larger size.

13. Micah Downs: Gonzaga 2006-2009.


For Micah Downs the third time in the NBA Summer League isn't the charm. After playing for Phoenix in 2010 and Milwaukee in 2011, Downs suited up for the Dallas Mavericks. He averaged just over one quarter of playing time per game.

Downs' averages, click for larger size.

14. Rob Jones: Saint Mary's 2010-2012.

Rob Jones was an absolute beast in WCC play this past season. As a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas though, he didn't get much of a chance nor did he capitalize on his limited minutes. Jones is already somewhat of a basketball journeyman, he spent two seasons at San Diego then took a year off to complete his AA at junior college before transferring to Saint Mary's for his junior and senior seasons. Jones' size isn't a perfect fit for the NBA, but with his willingness to put the time in, as evidenced by his three school college experience, he could make it in a few years if he perseveres. Or maybe he'll end up in the NFL.

Jones averages, click for larger size.

 15. Doron Perkins: Santa Clara 2003-2005.

The 29 year old former Bronco did not get any playing time for the Phoenix Suns. Perkins' dream of playing in the NBA seems to out of the question now.