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Rookie Watch

Karl-Anthony Towns
Timberwolves | C
2015 NBA draft:
No. 1 pick

Key summer-league stats:
12.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 39.6 FG%

Towns' elite-level potential was on full display in Vegas. The big man out of Kentucky utilized a nice jump hook, showed good speed racing up and down the court and blocked some shots as a helper as the week progressed.

He is years away from being a dominant player, but reaching that status is in his wheelhouse for sure. Focusing on defense would be a good place for him to start during his rookie season, given Minnesota's need for rim protection.

D'Angelo Russell
Lakers | PG
2015 NBA draft:
No. 2 pick

Key summer-league stats:
11.8 PPG, 3.2 APG, 5.2 TPG, 37.7 FG%

There's no hiding the fact that Russell is nowhere close to being an NBA player right now. In Vegas, he struggled to run his team and take care of the ball in half-court actions, made terrible decisions in the transition game and showed little ability to drive through creases and finish at the rim, especially with his weak (right) hand.

However, Russell has the look of a guy who can be special once he learns how to play, which is why he was drafted No. 2 overall. His length and feel for the game are going to be considerable assets, and he has the inner confidence to excel despite his early summer struggles.

Jahlil Okafor
76ers | C
2015 NBA draft:
No. 3 pick

Key summer-league stats:
15.8 PPG, 8.4 RPG (18 ORB), 4.6 TPG

We knew Okafor's back-to-the-basket game was his strong suit, and it was on display throughout summer league. He looked more comfortable down low or in isolation than anywhere else on the offensive end, showing he has patience on the blocks and a bit of a plan once he catches the ball, too.

There's not much else to his offensive game yet, though. He struggled against help and double-teams like most young players do (and many older ones still do). He also jogged far too often as he changed ends. But he was competitive on defense, which is the first step toward being solid in an area that is considered a weakness for him.

Kristaps Porzingis
Knicks | PF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 4 pick

Key summer-league stats:
10.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 48.0 FG%

Porzingis showed a smooth offensive skill set that just needs nurturing, but it was his defensive playmaking that has people excited in New York. He did an excellent job denying his man the ball from important spots on the floor. Then he allowed the passer to think his man was open, inviting a pass so Porzingis could jump into the passing lane when the ball was delivered.

The 7-footer also displayed excellent agility in his half-court pick-and-roll defense, showing hard on ball handlers before swiftly moving back to his own man and getting squared up on him if he was a driver.

Mario Hezonja
Magic | SF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 5 pick

Key summer-league stats:
13 PPG, 37.5 FG%

Hezonja hit a game winner in his first game for Orlando back on July 4. Unfortunately, an injury limited him to just two games this summer.

Unlike Chicago's Nikola Mirotic, who found success as a 23-year-old rookie last season after playing in Europe for several years, Hezonja shouldn't be expected to make an immediate impact. He's just 20 years old.

Willie Cauley-Stein
Kings | C
2015 NBA draft:
No. 6 pick

Key summer-league stats:
11.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.8 BPG, 51.2 FG%

Cauley-Stein played like the Kings hoped he would — as an athletic center who understood that he needed to run hard back and forth to the rim, from end to end, and then look to make a play from there. He didn't show any power forward skills, but that can come with time. Or perhaps the Kings hope to make DeMarcus Cousins the power forward and let WCS be the center.

There's hope WCS can grow into a DeAndre Jordan-type player. While he has lots of room to grow as a rebounder, his athleticism — not just as a jumper but as a quick-footed big man who can cover a lot of ground laterally — is at an elite level.

Emmanuel Mudiay
Nuggets | PG
2015 NBA draft:
No. 7 pick

Key summer-league stats:
12 PPG, 5.8 APG, 5 TPG, 35.8 FG%

There was some buzz about Mudiay after he played well in his first two games in Vegas, but overall it was apparent that he has some serious holes in his game to work on.

He did not show great quickness or athleticism with the ball in his hands (though he had an outstanding backdoor cut where he set up his man perfectly in a very tight space under the right block), and, as everyone watching could see, he's not at all a shooter.

The good news is Mudiay is crafty and strong at 6-foot-5, with a real desire to quarterback his team and share the ball at times.

Stanley Johnson
Pistons | SF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 8 pick

Key summer-league stats:
16.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 41.7 3PT%

Johnson was likely the most impressive guy during summer league from this draft class. As a wing, he looked polished with the ball in the open court and while playing/initiating pick-and-roll action.

Johnson also shot well from the perimeter — a slight surprise (and awfully small sample size) — and finished drives, helping him to make close to 60 percent of his shots overall, which is impressive during summer league. His power and aggressiveness helped him look comfortable on offense, a big challenge for most guys in this environment.

Frank Kaminsky
Hornets | C
2015 NBA draft:
No. 9 pick

Key summer-league stats:
15.2 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 38.9 3PT%

Summer league offenses are often far more grinding than what we see during the NBA season, but when a big man can shoot, attack with his dribble and compete with aggression, he will stand out among centers who can make only paint plays (unless, of course, that big man looks like Shaq).

Kaminsky came into the summer with those requisite skills and did not disappoint. His versatility fits the new NBA and, though he is going to have to be a system defender to be a good one (meaning he has to always be in the right spot), he can be a potent offensive player thanks to his unique set of skills as an agile big man.

Justise Winslow
Heat, SF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 10 pick

Key summer-league stats:
15.3 PPG (in 3 starts), 21-for-30 FTs

Winslow played only three full games before his team dialed back his minutes. In that time, it was evident that his talent is still largely unrefined. "Raw" is a word used too often to describe young players, but in this case it fits: Winslow has a lot of physical talent but does not yet know how to utilize it.

On the bright side, Winslow showed some ability to draw fouls, an area of potential strength for him. (Being tutored by D-Wade in this area can help even more.) And he looked somewhat comfortable playing with his back to the basket, which is excellent to see from a young guy with a powerful body.

Myles Turner
Pacers | PF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 11 pick

Key summer-league stats:
18.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 4.3 BPG, 60.5 FG%

Turner played in only three games, but that was more than enough for anyone to recognize that the Pacers have their future big man in Turner. The 19-year-old showed scoring skills in the low post and was a dominating paint presence with his long arms and excellent timing to block shots. Factor in that he's only going to get stronger and heavier, and the future is bright.

Though his perimeter shot looked flat in Orlando, he clearly is talented as a shooter, making him a versatile big man with huge upside.

Trey Lyles
Jazz | PF
2015 NBA draft:
No. 12 pick

Key summer-league stats:
11.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 31.3 FG% (6-23 from 3)

Lyles got plenty of minutes during summer league, so he was able to put up some decent box-score stats. But he is the classic guy who is very tall and skilled for a young college player but not yet ready to use those gifts against equally sized men who are stronger. He was able to find good shots but did not finish a lot of them.

He reminds me of Tobias Harris, though maybe not quite as skilled as a scorer. It took Harris a few years to catch up to the men he was facing in NBA games. The good news for Lyles, who is loaded with upside based on a strong skill set in an agile and coordinated body, is that Utah has proved to be a team that can develop young guys well.

Devin Booker
Suns | SG
2015 NBA draft:
No. 13 pick

Key summer-league stats:
15.3 PPG, 40.0 FG%, 40.0 3P%

Booker helped the Suns make it to the Vegas title game and has a chance to be an elite-level skill guy with some athleticism. He missed his first eight 3s in Vegas before hitting 12 of his final 22 attempts, but was aggressive in hunting shots overall. He also showed good explosiveness on his pull-up jumper in the paint, an excellent way to always get a good shot off.

With a shot as good as his, it was a smart plan for him to be aggressive this summer, though he'll likely be more cautious early in his career.

Cameron Payne
Thunder | PG
2015 NBA draft:
No. 14 pick

Payne did not play in summer league due to a fracture in his finger