2024 Summer League Recap: Player Grades

Ever since I was lucky enough to meet Wenyen Gabriel at my first California Classic in 2019, I've had a special appreciation for the NBA Summer League. New minted millionaire draft picks compete alongside community college grinders with nothing to lose in a frenetic, almost AAU-coded, ten day window. The summer league has given the NBA some incredible players, like Jeremy Lin, who may have never got a chance at the league without it. Not all that glitters here is gold though, and making long-term predictions off a tiny window can often result in cold takes (looking at you, Skal Labissiere and Davion Mitchell).

With the disclaimer out of the way and my bases covered, here's my evaluation of the key players from 2024's Summer Kings.

Keon Ellis - G - Alabama - 24

Grade: A 

After playing such a vital role amidst the revamped second half Kings, many were surprised to see Keon Ellis suiting up for the summer league. Third year players in the summer league typically come with raised expectations, and Ellis met them. 

Taking on the “star” role was a great opportunity for Ellis, and was reminiscent of the decision to send Keegan Murray to the summer league last season. The purpose of the assignment is largely the same, to develop the skills and confidence to be more of a self-creator and offensive threat next season.

Throughout summer league, the Kings ran several high pick and rolls with Keon as the primary initiator around Drew Timme, putting him in actions like Sabonis would for Monk and Murray in an effort to see what Keon could do as the primary. To my delight, Ellis didn’t balk at these looks, firing away with confidence. While this experiment resulted in a few uglier games against Utah and Memphis, the overall takeaway from Ellis’s summer should be positive. We saw pull-up midranges, late close-out attacks like a veteran and a new level of trust in his elite shooting tool. 

Keon Ellis should be in the starting five moving forward, and while he may not get too many on-ball opportunities to show off his scoring chops as the sixthish option on the Kings next year, it does allow the Kings to potentially fulfill the newly re-signed Malik Monk’s desire to start if needed. Just as Keon’s defense determines that he must start, Monk’s offensive creation is needed on the bench. Could Keon Ellis develop into someone that can lead a second unit offensively? His performance here tells me that that pipe dream may not be too far away. 

Mason Jones - G - Arkansas - 26

Grade: A+

As I settled into my seat at the California Classic, I read a report that said that Mason Jones had lost 45(!!) pounds since the Kings’ playoff exit in April. I was at first skeptical, as part of what drew me to Mason Jones in Stockton was his stocky frame and ability to get physical on defense. 

My skepticism faded fast, and in one of the first possessions of the game against the Spurs, Mason stripped the ball and booked it down the court, splitting a pair of defenders with a gravity-defying, Lebron James-esque up and under. I had to pick my jaw up out of my garlic fries. 

While I’m pretty skeptical about his future as a three (especially with the weight loss), I think Jones and the new signee Jordan MacLaughlin should compete for that second bench guard role while Devin Carter recovers. While MacLaughlin may provide a more steady, playmaking centric veteran hand, the 26 year old Jones, a veteran in his own right, added to a pretty legitimate body of work from beyond the arc and should get the nod in my book. 

It’s hard to speak on a player’s true mentality when you’re not in the locker room, but Mason’s energy and willingness to use it without being the a focal point (even in the summer, where you can argue that he should be) tells me that he could really pop next year as a role piece for us. 

Colby Jones - G/F - Xavier - 22

Grade: C-

Keon Ellis and Colby Jones were positioned to show out in the summer league, and while Keon stole the headlines, Jones was disappointing. While I think there was a lot to like that didn’t necessarily pop on the box score (or even at first watch), such as his off-ball/help defense, but ultimately, his success with this team is highly predicated on his ability to shoot the three.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t falling, making only five of the twenty-one threes he shot in Las Vegas, and the 37% that he posted in his senior year at Xaiver feels far away. Without these hitting, Jones was nearly invisible on offense. He can still score with his little arsenal of floaters, but it’s really not enough. It’s important to remember that Colby is the youngest member of the Summer Kings, but he’s going to have to prove himself by having another strong year in Stockton before he gets a real look at the rotation.

Boogie Ellis - G - USC - 23

Grade: B+

Summer League is an advertisement for other teams just as much as it is for developing talent for the roster, and in the case of Boogie Ellis, this was a Anh Phoong level ad. Coming from an exceptionally strange situation at USC, where he shared opportunity with Bronny James and Isaiah Collier, Ellis shined for Sacramento, shooting 47% from three while being a tenacious defender. In short, the exact profile of player the Kings have seemingly had in surplus for the last three years. 

Something that really stood out to me was the steeliness and calm in his game. He’s got the instincts and footwork/hand-eye coordination to be lethal when he’s on an island, and instead of spazzing, for lack of a better term, Ellis’s defense appeared cool and calculated. The five seasons he spent in school have resulted in a polished guard that will hound the perimeter for another team very soon. 

Isaiah Crawford -  F - Louisiana Tech - 22

Grade: A-

Isaiah Crawford is someone I’ve had my eyes on as a prospect for a while, and after being stunned that he wasn’t taken during the draft (I had him as a second round talent), I was beyond excited for the bespectacled Louisiana Tech legend (He won his conference’s MVP and DPOY) to don the purple and black. While Crawford wasn’t terribly gung-ho in terms of what he was able to do offensively, opting to take safer shots, which he hit at great efficiency (8/14 from three and 20/38 from the field). His detractors criticized him for his lack of aggression, but I find it hard to see as a negative. As someone who’s going to have to do a lot to earn his place on a competitive roster, Crawford taking smart shots while focusing on his main skill is exactly what I’d like to see from him. 

As for that main skill, Crawford’s defensive potential was evident early. Standing at 6’6 with a seven foot wingspan, Crawford held his own against a multitude of different attackers. His footwork, especially with respect to how he catches himself/recovers on defense, was incredible to watch. He got beaten off the dribble a few times by smaller guards and even as they beat Crawford to the rack by a step or two, he was able to contest and even block them with his wingspan. These skills at his size are rare and increasingly desirable in the ever growing, switchable NBA. Monte McNair found another gem in UDFA. 

Adonis Arms - G - Texas Tech - 26

Grade: B+ 

It’s pretty tough not to root for Adonis Arms. Arms wasn’t even a rotation player on his varsity team in high school until his SENIOR year. After playing with future NBA player Brandon Clarke, Arms knew he could hang with the best of them. He played on a summer league team with a few other seniors without college looks, where his extreme work ethic landed him a look at Mesa Community College. Arms dominated, went D2, and dominated at that level too. 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that after exceeding expectations at every level, Adonis Arms took his opportunity with the Summer Kings by the horns, dropping 32 and 11 on, ironically enough, Bronny James and the Lakers. Arms showed natural scoring and playmaking skills with the defensive versatility to hang at multiple positions. 

After not closing the summer league with the Kings, there is speculation that Arms may be headed to a different team, and wherever he goes, I’ll be pulling for him. 

Isaac Jones - C - Washington St. - 24

Grade: D+

Standing at 6’9 with a 7’3 wingspan, Isaac Jones is an interesting bet as a defensive small ball center. Jones didn't rack up a ton of blocks at WSU, but deterred a LOT of shots at the rim without necessarily making contact. While this is certainly an interesting profile to add to the roster, I came out of summer league with some concerns with the rest of his game. 

Jones is 24, but doesn’t really play like it. The processing speed doesn’t look like it's at the level it needs to be, and the game moving fast for a prospect this old is usually not a good sign. While his freakish wingspan makes him a force at one end, it clearly cripples his ability to shoot the ball. He started his development a whole lot later than most, so his “basketball age” is really much younger. He’s going to need some serious seasoning in Stockton to be a guy in Sacramento. 

Drew Timme - F - Gonzaga - 23

Grade: C+

If you could fuse the athleticism, frame and defense of Isaac Jones with the creative and varied “old guy” offensive game of Drew Timme, the Kings might have the perfect backup center for Sabonis. 

While Timme’s size and defensive limitations make his future as a pro unlikely (he would KILL in Europe though), I’d love to see him get a contract in Stockton. Maybe this is my brain getting football-pilled as the NFL season approaches, but having someone who is a Circle K version of one of your stars in your G-League seems like a pretty useful development tool. Maybe Timme can take the Jake Delhomme/Tony Romo path to relevance, but he’ll have to figure out a way to defend without having crazy athleticism.

Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. - C - Baylor - 30

Grade: C+

Due to his age, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. doesn't have much of a shot at the pro roster, but the 30 (!!) year old Lual-Acuil’s performance deserves a mention. Acuil’s journey has taken him around the world, playing with teams in Australia, Lebanon, Egypt and Israel. As I said with Boogie Ellis, sometimes Summer League is simply an advertisement, and Acuil showed some real promise as a springy lob threat with great shot-blocking instincts and a soft touch. There’s been some smoke about him getting a major deal in China or Japan, where I’m very confident about his success. The South-Sudanese Australian product has a great story, and played well enough for the Summer Kings to write the next few chapters.