At the very least, you just hope your top draft pick can get acclimated to the increased speed and athleticism of the NBA during summer league games. If he plays well on top of that, then great. But if he dominates, then you've really got yourself a player.
Kevin Love and Jerryd Bayless have been nothing short of impressive.
Facing each other last night in Las Vegas, Love notched his third straight double-double, this one to the tune of 26 points and 15 rebounds. As I said before, get used 60+ doubles out of the Timberwolves new power forward this season.
He also showed off a bit of his underrated athleticism with this nice follow up dunk (above).
Bayless went off for his third straight game with 26 points or more, averaging 27.7 in the Trailblazers three summer league games. There's little doubt he's going to open the court up for Greg Oden, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy, but the biggest question remains: is he really a point guard? The answer is yes, and his scoring ability is precisely what the Blazers need in the backcourt.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Bayless was one of the biggest steals on draft night, and don't slouch on the Love for Mayo deal. Kevin's going to be just fine in Minnesota. Just think how he'll play with Al Jefferson on the opposite block.
Also impressing in Vegas, Marreese Speights for the 76ers. Here's some quick footage of his 24 point outburst on Wednesday (averaged 18 and 10 for Philly who's completed their play):
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