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Our NBA experts have gotten a good look at all the top young players participating in NBA summer league this week. Keenan Robinson Jersey .Which rookie stands out the most? Which teams do summer league best? And what are our panels best stories?5-on-5 also welcomes a guest panelist -- Zhang Weiping, former player and head coach of the Chinese mens national basketball team and current NBA commentator for Tencent.1. Which rookie looks like he will affect his team the most?Tom Penn, ESPN Insider:?So far Id say?Brandon Ingram?because of what he means to that franchise. They need so much?hope in Los Angeles, and what I saw Sunday night was a poise, presence and swagger thats worthy of the city. Ingram seems worthy of the moment, and theres a buzz around him, so great start for him.Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: Ben Simmons. Not only is Simmons likely to be the best rookie this season at least in terms of total value, hes also the only rookie whose team will build around his skills. The Sixers have been using Simmons as a point guard much of the time during summer league, and that is the best use of his playmaking skills (and can cover for his non-shooting).Michael Wright, ESPN.com: Simmons, because his unique skill set has showed up in a major way early on in summer league. Pay attention to how his teammates react to him. Sure, its just summer league, and you can tell that Simmons might struggle to score early on, but he seems to have an innate feel for the game as a passer, and that affects everything else around him.Zhang Weiping, Tencent: Simmons. Its been 20 years since the Sixers drafted a playmaker like Allen Iverson. They finally have one in Simmons, who could bring 25-plus wins to the team. The Sixers are crowded at center with Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, but a playmaker and scorer like Simmons is a dire need. Simmons is a great ball handler and passer for his size who can play multiple positions.Amin Elhassan, ESPN Insider: Simmons, hands down. He was very impressive in his summer league debut, and given Phillys lack of talent, Simmons will have every opportunity to create offense for his teammates with his uncanny passing and vision.2. Environment means everything for development. Which rookie is set up in the best environment to succeed?Penn: Id say Kris Dunn, who has a newly empowered president and head coach in Tom Thibodeau who will be crystal clear about how Dunn is expected to act and perform. On the Timberwolves, Dunn also can learn from a couple of superstars-in-the-making mentors in Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, who will take some of the pressure off him. Of course, theres also Kevin Garnett, the ultimate big brother. Minnesota seems like a great fit for Dunn.Pelton: Dejounte Murray. Its hard to think of a better scenario for a poor shooter (29 percent from 3, 66 percent on free throws) with good form and work ethic than getting Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland as a shooting instructor. If Murray takes his vitamin of daily work, hell have a chance to improve in a hurry.Wright: Murray. First off, we all know how far Murray fell in the draft. So hell automatically come in a little bitter about that, and youd better believe that Gregg Popovich will let Murray know about that fall -- often. Besides, lets not forget that at 19, Murray is the youngest guard the Spurs have drafted since Tony Parker. So we already know Popovich knows how to handle young point guards. Murray also recently said he looks forward to the Popovich treatment.Zhang: Simmons. As a playmaking power forward, he could be the next Draymond Green?-- or?even LeBron James. But he needs the ball in his hands to learn from errors and improve. The Sixers appear able to give the No. 1 pick such huge room for development. And Simmons has shown his ability in the first three games -- dishing multiple assists even though he has struggled shooting the ball.Elhassan: Dunn. Thibodeau has a strong track record of getting the most from his point guards, so Dunn should benefit tremendously. His excellent defensive aptitude is sure to win him brownie points with his coach, and hell have no shortage of targets to pass to.3. Whats your most best/worst memory of summer league?Penn: My best was Jerryd Bayless when he seized the moment and led the summer league in scoring. The worst was Greg Oden when I was in Portland. We drafted him, but at summer league he had the first of many ailments. His tonsils swelled up in Vegas to a point where he was having trouble breathing, and he ended up having an emergency tonsillectomy. It was sort of a litany of things he had to deal with. It was really disappointing because he had played well in a couple of games.Pelton: My best memory is Nate Robinsons jersey getting hung on the wall of the Cox Pavilion at UNLV in honor of Robinsons winning MVP of the 2007 summer league, during which he scored a then-record 42 points. Robinsons game was almost delightfully perfect for summer league. My worst memory is when I happened to be in Las Vegas during July 2011, when there was no summer league because of the NBA lockout.Wright: Thus far, the matchup between Ingram?and Simmons. But it seemed so fitting that?DAngelo Russell ended up stealing the show with that deep contested 3-pointer as time expired. Simmons looked promising, but Ingram struggled. The crowd was unreal for a summer league game; the house was as packed as Id ever seen it.Zhang: My best memory would be Kobe Bryant against the Chinese Olympic team at the 1996 Long Beach Summer Pro League. As a 17-year-old player who had just been drafted by the Hornets and traded to the Lakers, Kobe showed flashes of future brilliance, scoring 22 points, including a nasty two-handed reverse dunk. He was such a nice guy off the court, as he is now. Ive interviewed him multiple times thereafter, but the time we met was always the best and most unforgettable.Elhassan: Anthony Randolph and Anthony Morrow having dueling scoring efforts for the 2009 Warriors. Randolph set the record with 42 points before Morrow bested him with 47 points in the Warriors last summer league game. The duo averaged 26.8 and 24.7 PPG, respectively.4. Which young player who isnt at summer league would you like to see play here, and why?Penn: Im surprised Jahlil Okafor isnt here, because I think its a fresh start with a new general manager and an opportunity to develop more and play more. And he needs it. They need it. It would be a chance to build chemistry with Simmons and all things evolving around him.Pelton: Dario Saric. He has a good excuse -- hes playing for the Croatian national team, which secured a spot in the Olympics with Saturdays win over host Italy. Still, Id love to see Saric begin building chemistry with Simmons and many of his future Philadelphia teammates after he reiterated Saturday that he plans to sign with the 76ers this summer.Wright: Surprisingly, for me, there are none. As ESPNs Spurs beat writer, I was looking forward to watching Taurean Prince because he grew up in the area and went to school down the road at Baylor. Prince didnt play over the first couple of days in Las Vegas because he was still waiting for league approval of the trade that sent him to Atlanta.Zhang: As a Chinese fan, Id like to see Zhou Qi, the Chinese player whom the Rockets drafted in the second round. How far is Zhou, a rising star with high expectations from home, from being a qualified NBA player? How long would it take for him to fit in the NBA? Hes shown his capability on both ends of the floor domestically, but will this skinny kid still do it when facing tough body contact? All that can be tested in summer league. But Zhou is preparing for the Olympics.Elhassan: Joel Embiid. Hes entering his third NBA season, but we havent seen a single second of him playing, and when you factor in the fact that he didnt play during the second half of his lone season at Kansas, we are coming up on almost two and a half years without witnessing any competitive basketball from him.5. Which team do you think best uses the developmental aspects of summer league?Penn: The usual answer is San Antonio. The Spurs havent had a high draft pick in forever, yet they constantly fill their pipeline with talent. And they use this two-to-three-week window in the summer to identify and cultivate that talent. They get a lot of work in during their practices; they get the most out of the games; theyre developing their coaches; theyre developing everyone.Pelton: Thats tough to say because its unclear what the best way to use summer league really is. Id say I favor trying to stretch players in roles different from what theyve played previously in their careers. The Utah Jazz have done a good job of that with Trey Lyles this year, but theyre certainly not alone.Wright: Its a difficult question because your top picks will play only a couple of games. To me, summer league is more of an opportunity to get the younger prospects acclimated to the NBA game than actual development. For some of the second-year guys, this does seem like an opportunity to work out the kinks in their games as they transition into becoming role players.Zhang: Los Angeles Lakers. From the coachs perspective, the summer league provides great opportunities for coaches Luke Walton and Brian Shaw. Will Walton stick to his words and play a style similar to the 73-win Golden State Warriors? Or will these two students of the game implement the triangle offense taught by Phil Jackson? Theres no better place than summer league to experiment. From the players perspective, two of L.A.s future stars -- Ingram and Russell -- also need to take this valuable chance to improve themselves.Elhassan: Ive always enjoyed the seamless synergy the Spurs organization shows from its parent team to the D-League Austin Spurs to the summer league team. J.T. Thomas Jersey . Now, with Game 6 set for Fenway Park and an 8:07 p.m. ET first pitch, the Detroit Tigers face the unenviable task of having to beat the Boston Red Sox twice, on the road, to advance to the World Series. Devon Kennard Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.nygiantsproshop.com/authentic-bj-goodson-jersey.html . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Sometime in the next 10 days, Kevin Durant will have made his decision where to play basketball next season. Hes heading overseas on July 9 for a promotional tour, and according to sources, he plans on having made his free-agency choice before he leaves.Despite having meetings lined up with six other teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder are the front-runners, with some around Durant saying someone is going to have to convince him to leave, rather than the Thunder convincing him to stay. His heart is in Oklahoma City, a place he affectionately refers to as a home. But hes willing to listen, and therefore, willing to leave the door wide open to the possibility of leaving. At this point, some 48 hours before the free-agency window opens, its all up in the air.Regardless of that choice, what many feel is not an unknown is the terms of the new contract. With the salary cap erupting incrementally over the next two years, Durant stands to cash in on a system quirk. If he re-signs for one season and delays his long-term choice another summer, hed become a 10-year player, and stand to be eligible for a 35 percent max deal rather than a 30 percent. Its the difference in some $85 million over the entire length of a new contract. Even for someone as loaded as Durant, that gets your attention.If its a one-year deal Durant wants, the Thunder quickly become his only reasonable option. They have his Bird rights, so they dont need cap space to sign him. The Warriors, the Spurs, the Heat, the whoevers -- theyd have to be $27 million under to sign him. And then the kicker: Theyd have to be $34 million or so under again next season to re-sign him. So his new team has to gut/trim this summer and then do it all over again next summer. It doesnt make a lot of sense.The Thunder would happily take Durant on the one-year deal. Theyd sign him to a daily contract that needed to be re-upped for every game if thats what it took. Its practical for Durant, and not financial devastation to the Thunder. But a one-year contract does complicate things for the organization. Sam Presti complimented Durants focus and caretaking of the franchise this season, minimizing distractions and keeping away narratives. Presti actually went as far to say the season they had wouldnt have been possible had he not.If hes only back on a one-year deal, though, its this season all over again, but on steroids. No longer is there the backdrop of oh, hell probably just sign for a year. And on top of it, hes now aligned with Russell Westbrooks free agency, setting the stage for potential free agency Armageddon for OKC.Plus, there are the optics, at least from the OKC side. Durant is hearing pitches and flirting with other teams. That fact alone means hes considering leaving the only organization he has ever known. If he signs for a year without committing for the long term, theres no celebration in Oklahoma City. Theres only delayed anxiety. The 2016-17 season is pressurized to incomprehensible levels, and fans will have to look over their shoulders all year long.Durant cares deeply about the Thunder. He takes great pride in knowing hes a stakeholder in the franchise. He talks proudly of building this thing from the ground up and knowing hiis fingerprints are all over the culture and identity of the entire organization. Ereck Flowers Jersey. . The Thunder have been constructed for him and by him at the same time.Durant likes to cut against the grain, taking pride in making independent decisions and freethinking for himself. It always has irked him that many made the assumption hed go back home to Washington, D.C., just because LeBron James did with Cleveland. His entire brand had been built and cultivated on the simple principle of being himself. The aw-shucks tweet announcing his extension in 2010 while LeBron held a one-hour special; asking for teammates to accompany him on the cover of magazines; donating $1 million less than 24 hours after a tornado shredded part of the Oklahoma City metro area.Or, of course, the MVP speech that had every mom in America forwarding links to their sons saying, Have you see this? Durant didnt show up that day planning a prepackaged speech sure to produce tears. He had a few words written on a napkin, and followed his heart for the rest of it. Nike is paying Durant nearly $300 million because of that stuff. His brand has been zigging when theres an expectation to zag.Which is why a long-term deal with the Thunder isnt out of the question. Durant has talked openly about money recently, saying this when asked during the postseason about David West opting out of his deal to sign for the veterans minimum:Money isnt everything in this life, he said. I know we tend to think about taking care of your family, being financially stable. But from the outside looking in, it looks like he said, well, Ive been blessed to make X amount and Ill be happy chasing something thats the grand prize in this league. So I respect him for it. A lot of guys wouldnt have done it.Many saw that quote as Durant leaning his way out of town, leaving the one-plus-one megabucks deal on the table to go sign elsewhere. But what it might have been reference to is the opposite. Durant might be thinking of leaving money on the table to sign long term. Hes still a max player making lots and lots of money, so its not a pay cut. But its a break for his team, and one that can help enable them to build a better roster to with which to contend. All that youth and potential the Thunder have will need to be eventually paid. And every penny counts.Durant will at least have that presented to him by the Thunder. He cares deeply about legacy. But legacy isnt only found in championships. He has said that himself, lamenting at the notion a title is the only thing that defines greatness in a player. What will resonate more than anything this summer, or longer? Durant bucking the trend and planting his flag in the ground with the organization he helped build. That is mostly the stuff of fantasy in professional sports, so theres no expectation of Durant going for it. The money is real, and nobody could blame him for making the practical, pragmatic choice. Its what makes the most sense. Its whats most likely.On the other hand, another opportunity to zig.In 10 days or less, were going to know which way he decides to go. Cheap NFL Jerseys ThrowbackNFL Jerseys WholesaleChina Jerseys CheapWholesale Jerseys 2019Cheap Jerseys 2019Cheap NFL Jerseys OutletWholesale Jerseys From China ' ' '
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