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4 Biggest Takeaways from Summer Suns' Run in Las Vegas

Summer League typically offers a glimpse of future talent for each NBA team, but this year’s edition featured a glut of young investments for Phoenix. A standout second-year guard, three draft picks and other potential roster players highlighted the Summer Suns roster.

Stats and results must be taken with a grain of salt in Las Vegas, where the quality of play is only a small step toward the nightly competition fielded during the NBA regular season. Still, traits and tendencies can indicate how a player is progressing toward training camp, and what kind of impact he could make once he arrives.

With that in mind, here are some of the takeaways from the Suns’ week-long stay in Sin City:

Devin Booker Could Have a Breakout Sophomore Season

Two games was plenty to see that Booker, a first-team All-Rookie selection last season, was overqualified for the competition in Vegas. The 6-6 guard averaged 26.0 points per game on 47.4-percent shooting, including a 6-for-10 showing from three-point range.

Individual brilliance, however, was not the ultimate goal for Booker. The 19-year-old repeatedly stated that his motivation in playing at Summer League was was to get to know his new teammates better on and off the court. Consider that mission accomplished after 1) leading the league in assist rate (6.5 apg) and 2) being the most ardent cheerleader on the Suns’ bench during the final four games.

Booker is intent on taking a leap toward elite player status, and it is already showing. He has cut out bad eating habits in an effort to refine his conditioning. The former first-round pick was also eager to serve as a leader, something that could carry over for a Suns team that will be one of the youngest in the league.

Promise Apparent, Progress Needed for Lottery Picks

Phoenix fortified the power forward position by drafting two prospects that could fill that role long-term. As top-10 picks, Dragan Bender (fourth) and Marquese Chriss (eighth) attracted a lot of eyes at Summer League, and they left those eyes wanting to see more.

Chriss’ effort on the glass was especially tantalizing. The 6-10 forward snagged 9.0 rebounds per contest before sitting out the final three games due to illness. Meanwhile, Bender showed versatility on both sides of the ball by hitting threes and blocking shots.

It is clear, however, that patience will be needed for two of the youngest players of the 2016 draft class. Neither rookie forward shot the ball especially well, while turnovers (7.1 per game combined) were also an issue.

Training camp and practice will go a long way toward integrating the youngsters into the team and the league. As that happens, expect their flashes of talent to occur more frequently.

The Point Guard Spot Just Got Deeper

If Tyler Ulis wasn’t the best point guard in Las Vegas, he was extremely close. That’s how good the Suns’ second-round pick was while averaging 14.5 points, 6.2 assists and 2.8 steals per contest.

Beyond the stats, Ulis showed an uncanny ability to find the open man almost anywhere – at any speed – on the court. He also didn’t make the mistake of dribbling possessions to death, often passing the ball ahead to open teammates on the break for a shot opportunity earlier in the shot clock.

Most impressive of all was the 5-10 guard’s caretaking of the basketball. He averaged just 1.8 turnovers per game, far below the norm for point guards in general and especially floor generals at summer league. Between that and his play in the clutch, Phoenix has to feel pretty good about its overall talent in the backcourt.

Phoenix Has Another Elite Rebounder

Tyson Chandler (12.8) and Alex Len (11.7) ranked among the league’s best in rebounds per 36 minutes last season, and the Suns' could enjoy a full season’s worth of that same talent from another frontcourt player. Alan Williams earned Summer League First Team honors after averaging 11.2 boards per contest, far and away the best mark in Vegas.

More than 33 percent of those rebounds came on the offensive glass, more evidence of the Phoenix native’s relentless effort that has endeared him to the Suns’ coaching staff. His summer performance could guarantee Williams a roster spot for the 2016-17 season, a move that would provide the Suns’ frontcourt all the competitive fire it could want in practice and game settings.