Summer League takeaways: Sheppard soars, Bronny needs time

The NBA's new crop of rookies and a boatload of other up-and-coming talent gathered in Las Vegas for Summer League over the last week and a half.

With a ton of noteworthy performances - good and bad - we break down what was most eye-opening from the Association's offseason exhibition.

Sheppard is the real deal

Coming into his professional basketball debut, most were confident in Reed Sheppard's 3-point jumper. Yet his 27.8% mark from deep was about the only thing he didn't do well in Summer League. Sheppard ranked in the top 10 for points per game (20) among rookies who played more than one contest in Las Vegas and recorded 5.3 assists per game. He even dominated defensively, averaging 2.8 steals and 1.3 blocks.

Despite his shooting struggles, the Kentucky product's excellent play has pushed his projection to surpass his expected floor as just a spot-up shooter. And even though he didn't play the role in college, Sheppard has shown he's a true point guard. His elite defensive instincts also allow him to perform better than his diminutive size suggests, even against bigger players and stronger athletes. Sheppard's Summer League performance is enough evidence to assume he's the Rockets' point guard of the future.

Risacher, Sarr won't win Rookie of the Year

While Sheppard put on a show in Vegas, No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and No. 2 pick Alex Sarr of the Washington Wizards struggled immensely.

Risacher wasn't shy in his two games, taking 28 total shots and 16 threes. However, he hit just 39.3% of his looks and 25% of his long balls. He was also invisible as a creator with four total assists, and he didn't pick up a steal. The Hawks miscast Risacher as a lead option in Summer League when he probably could've been best served right now as a complementary player. It was a discouraging start.

As shaky as Risacher was, it doesn't hold a candle to Sarr. He shot 19.1% from the field and 11.8% from deep, highlighted by a stunning 0-of-15 performance against the Portland Trail Blazers. Sarr still showed some outstanding defensive flashes with his length while being productive on the offensive glass, but the shooting is light-years away from where it needs to be for him to realize his potential. Sarr and Risacher may be solid pros in time, but both are far too raw to compete for the Rookie of the Year award this season.

Sophomore status updates

Beyond watching rookies in a pro setting for the first time, some of the most notable observations of Summer League are how second-year players fare with a full NBA campaign under their belts.

Hornets wing Brandon Miller, Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, and Heat forward Jaime Jaquez were spectacular despite seeing limited time after playing with the USA Select Team the week prior. All of them should be key starters in the Association, and each represents their team's best long-term prospect.

Elsewhere, Indiana's Jarace Walker passed his first test in his transition from big man to wing, Houston's Cam Whitmore dominated athletically, and Denver's Julian Strawther lit the nets on fire from deep. Orlando's Jett Howard also showcased the scoring potential he whiffed on as a rookie.

On the other side of the spectrum, consider Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins the biggest sophomore disappointment. The Pelicans' staff applauded Hawkins' weight gain this offseason after he struggled with the NBA's physicality in his first year, but the former UConn sharpshooter still looks small and got pushed off his spots offensively in Summer League. Hawkins posted just 29.5% from the field and 23.1% from long range while taking extremely difficult shots off movement as he couldn't create his own good looks off the bounce. He may not be a major factor in the Pelicans' rotation for the second straight year.

Outside of Hawkins, Utah's Taylor Hendricks has again failed to look like a top-10 pick, and Brooklyn's Dariq Whitehead shot a near-impossible 14.6% from the field on 41 attempts after missing nearly his entire rookie year due to injury. Portland's Kris Murray also remained inefficient, while Charlotte's Nick Smith's lack of scoring on major volume is concerning.

Second-round sleepers

Three recent draft picks selected in the second round immediately stood out in Las Vegas, already making cases to be steals for their respective teams. Each is also a former multi-year college player specifically chosen by their playoff-contending squads.

Sixers big man Adem Bona is a pure rim-runner who took only 15 shots in 90 Summer League minutes, but he hit 73.3% from the field on mostly paint touches. He was also money from the free-throw line and added 5.8 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game. The UCLA product will serve as an excellent change of pace with Joel Embiid at center, and his athleticism may even allow him to play alongside the Cameroonian.

The Suns selected Oso Ighodaro just one pick before Bona at No. 40, and he may be the steal of the draft so far. The two-time All-Big East winner isn't a scorer, but he doesn't have to be alongside a plethora of elite bucket-getters. His terrific rebounding, short-roll passing, defensive activity, and mobility will open up a lot of opportunities for Phoenix's lineups next season. Expect Ighodaro to set a ton of screens for the Suns' stars as a rookie.

Lastly, Cam Spencer brought the same jolt to the Grizzlies as he did when he transferred to UConn and led the Huskies to a national championship. Across the Vegas and Utah Summer Leagues, Spencer shot 57.9% from the field and 52.6% from deep while dishing out 15 assists to just four turnovers. It's not a coincidence Memphis averaged 98 points in the four games he played and just under 90 in the three contests he sat.

Bronny delivers mixed bag

Already the most covered second-rounder in NBA history, the pressure on Bronny James only intensified when he started his pro career 0-of-16 from beyond the arc. He then went 3-of-7 from deep and put forth two double-digit scoring efforts, prompting many to suggest that counting James out after four exhibition games may have been premature.

Politics aside, James must become an elite jump shooter if he's going to be a useful NBA player at any point. He's a solid individual defender on the perimeter, but his lack of size doesn't allow him to guard up multiple positions. James also isn't a playmaker with the ball in his hands and doesn't possess point guard skills. Still, he's a smart player on both ends of the floor and gets contested rebounds.

James has multiple complementary pieces in his tool kit, but the name on the back of his jersey remains the main attraction. He won't suddenly grow or completely remodel his game as a floor general. If he can't develop a consistent 40% 3-point shooting clip, James may never make a real impact in the NBA. Given the early shooting results, he's quite far from where he needs to be.