Summer League 2016

Tyler Emerick

Although the Summer Suns' run in Las Vegas ended two wins shy from a championship, there were plenty of highlight moments to savor.

To ease your consumption, we've compiled the best of the best into the top-10 Summer League plays. Be sure to voice your opinion in the comment section at the bottom of the page.

Everyone knows the kind of lethal jumpshot Devin Booker owns. But on this play, the 6-6 guard showcased a skill many might be surprised to see. The 19-year-old took the entry pass, backed down his defender and beat him to the rim for an easy layup with an up-and-under move. Booker appears as if he's bulked up some since his rookie season, so if he can add this facet to his game - watch out, rest of the league.

With Marquese Chriss (illness) and Dragan Bender (ankle) unable to play in the latter portion of the Summer League, Troy Williams became the beneficiary with a vastly increased role. The Indiana product hit several long threes, but his most tantalizing moments came much closer to the basket. Off of a quick score, Williams found open space going the other way and beat the retreating Minnesota Timberwolves defenders. He absorbed the contact in the lane and still managed to finish with one hand.

Tricky, tricky. With Tyler Ulis dribbling the ball upcourt, Chriss juked out his defender by faking a ball screen and rolling to the rim instead. Ulis recognized the wide-open lane and hit the eighth overall pick with an easy lob pass for the jam. Although an illness limited him to three games, Chriss certainly lived up to his athletic billing.

Right place at the right time. A tipped-ball sequence left Williams with nothing but open court ahead of him. The forward collected the loose ball and proceeded to coast his way to two points with a thunderous, one-handed jam. Williams finished the Summer League averaging 12.3 points per game.

How about this for heart and hustle? After being stripped on offense, Booker ran back on the fast break and prevented the layup with a sensational swat off of the backboard. This is quite the example of how the guard never gives up on a play.

A message to opposing teams: It would be wise to block out Chriss. Ulis was unable to convert on the three-point attempt, but the 6-10 forward cleaned up the miss with authroity after the Celtics failed to put a body on him.

Throughout the week and a half in Las Vegas, Ulis seemed to turn heads with every move. The 5-10 point guard, whose size caused him to fall to the second round of the draft, stood tall against significantly bigger competition. Ulis was named to the All-Summer League Second Team after averaging 14.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game. This play was one of the Kentucky product's marquee moments, as he showcased his ball-handling ability and hit a fallback shot in the corner with the clock winding down.

3. Suns Convert Turnover into Nifty Bucket

This one was a team effort. Ulis and Derek Cooke forced a loose ball and Dragan Bender eventually found himself approaching midcourt with the ball in his hands. Instead of slowing things down and setting up the offense, the fourth overall pick pushed the tempo and hit Askia Booker driving toward the basket. Booker passed to Williams, who then threw it off the backboard for Cooke to finish the job with a two-handed dunk.

Be sure to take note of how far away from the basket Chriss initially received the ball. The forward faced up his defender, drove to his right, stopped on a dime and hit the "circle button" to spin the opposite direction. The result? An easy bucket that showcased just how versatile Chriss can be with the rock in his hands.

1. Ulis' Clutch Three Beats Buzzer, Nuggets

This wasn't just the Suns' top play of the Summer League. This was arguably the most exciting moment of the entire event. With Phoenix trailing by two points in overtime, Ulis drained a 35-footer as time expired to send his team to the tournament semifinals. The coaching staff designed the play for Bender, but Ulis answered the call as Denver successfully took away the first option. The entire bench swarmed Ulis after the ball went through the net, putting a bow on the guard's arrival to the professional ranks.

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Top 10 Highlight Plays from 2016 Summer League Suns

Matt Petersen

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.

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.

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.

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4 Biggest Takeaways from Summer Suns' Run in Las Vegas

Jessica Taylor

Phoenix Suns forward/center Alan Williams was named to the All-NBA Summer League 2016 First Team and guard Tyler Ulis was named to the Second Team, as selected by a panel of media members. The Suns went 4-2 in Las Vegas, advancing to the tournament’s semifinals before being eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.

With the championship game still to be played on Monday, Williams currently leads the Las Vegas Summer League by averaging 11.2 rebounds, in addition to scoring 11.8 points per game. He is the only player at Las Vegas Summer League to average a double-double. Williams recorded four double-doubles in six games, including his scoring high of 18 points to go with 10 rebounds against Miami on July 12.

Ulis is tied for the league-lead (minimum three games) with an average of 6.3 assists, in addition to posting 14.5 points and 2.8 steals per game. In the quarterfinals against Denver, Ulis made a 35-foot three-pointer at the overtime buzzer to give the Suns an 82-81 win. Ulis had 20 points and eight assists in a win against Miami on July 14, his personal highs in each category at Summer League.

Joining Williams on the First Team are Minnesota’s Tyus Jones, Cleveland’s Jordan McRae, Chicago’s Bobby Portis and Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons. Joining Ulis on the Second Team are Boston’s Jaylen Brown, Milwaukee’s Thon Maker, Washington’s Kelly Oubre Jr. and Toronto’s Norman Powell.

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Alan Williams, Tyler Ulis Named All-Summer League

Phoenix's first look at rookies Dragan Bender, Marquese Chriss and Tyler Ulis is over after the Summer Suns' 93-83 semifinal loss to Minnesota on Sunday. Bender (ankle) and Chriss (illness) were both out, leaving Ulis to lead the way on offense.

A frigid shooting day for the Suns, however, ended their run in the Las Vegas Summer League despite several players ranking among the best in various statistical categories. Here are some of the things that stood out in Phoenix's final Summer League game:

Once he put his head down and got some momentum behind him, there was little Minnesota could do to stop Williams on his way to the basket. The 6-7 forward earned a game-high 15 free throw attempts and made good on 14 of them. He was also 5-of-6 inside the three-point arc, using his athleticism and creativity to score over, under and through defenders.

Williams is a free agent, so it will be interesting to see if Phoenix or another NBA team invites him to training camp.

Even when the game started getting out of hand late in the fourth quarter, the Suns' second-round pick kept driving, creating and scoring. It wasn't his best shooting game (5-for-21), but missing Bender, Chriss and Devin Booker didn't help ease the defense's attention on him. All that being said, Ulis still finished with 11 points, seven assists and a steal in his final Summer League outing.

Phoenix got an injection of offense from their its Booker, who scored 19 points in just over 20 minutes of play. Despite measuring just 6-1, the former Colorado standout was able to get his shot off whenever he wanted, especially from three (2-for-2).

Like Williams, Booker is a free agent able to sign with any team this offseason. Sunday was by far his best day of the Summer League, and time will tell whether his last impression was enough to impress an NBA franchise.

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3 Observations from Summer Suns' Semifinal Exit in Vegas

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Best Photos of 2016 Summer Suns in Las Vegas

If the experiences of the Las Vegas Summer League do carry over to the regular season, Phoenix should get a healthy injection of toughness and clutch play.

Those factors were on dramatic display in the Summer Suns' overtime win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The victory was capped off by Tyler Ulis' game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer, the excitement of which could not be contained even by Phoenix Head Coach Earl Watson.

Phoenix now advances to the tournament semifinals, where it'll face the 24th-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday at 3 p.m on ESPN2.

Ulis' heroics highlighted Saturday's 82-81 victory, which showcased other noteworthy performances from other Summer Suns. Here are some of the notables:

In a game that featured highly-touted scorers Jimmer Fredette and seventh overall pick Jamal Murray, Ulis wound up providing the best offensive highlight of the night. There was no hesitation once it was clear he was the only man open for the inbounds pass and the shot, which was well behind the three-point line.

Even before his victory-clinching heave, the Suns' second-round pick had taken charge with his trademark handles and ability to get in the paint. He scored 16 of his 19 points after halftime and scored or assisted on 12 consecutive points in the fourth quarter.

With Devin Booker sitting the latter stages of Summer League and Marquese Chriss out due to illness, Williams has gotten plenty of playing time with the rest of the starting lineup. His production has matched the promotion. After scoring 15 points against Miami on Thursday, the 6-7 forward put up a team-high 22 points on Saturday, including four consecutive buckets in the third quarter.

Williams didn't suffer from offensive tunnel vision either, adding six rebounds and three steals to his stat line.

Phoenix Has Some Underrated Paint Protectors

As Dragan Bender adjusts to the speed and timing of the NBA game, don't be surprised if he becomes one of the most versatile forwards in the league. The 18-year-old is already showing solid instincts on defense, where he logged four blocks in Saturday's win. The fourth overall pick overcame a minor leg injury in the process while adding nine points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal to his evening.

Alan Williams also played a role in the Suns' block party, rejecting a shot late in the fourth quarter while logging his fifth straight game of double-digit rebounds. The Phoenix native's energy has been non-stop in Vegas, where he leads the league in boards per contest.

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3 Observations from Summer Suns Thrilling Win over Denver

Two days after losing to Miami in the final Summer League game before tournament play, the Summer Suns beat the same Heat squad with tighter defense and a more efficient offense.

The outcome was far different as a result, with Phoenix holding on for a 77-74 win and a place in the quarterfinals in Las Vegas. The next game, which will be played against Denver, will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Four different Suns scored in double-figures, led by Tyler Ulis' 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting. Here's a look at that and more from the game:

It's been a rough go in terms of shooting for the fourth overall pick in Las Vegas, but Dragan Bender is finding out ways to score anyway thanks to Ulis. The 7-1 big man moved well when playing the two-man game with the 5-11 point guard, and found himself open as a result for a pair of three-pointers that were both assisted by Ulis.

Bender finished the game with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Ulis added eight assists and three rebounds to his stat line. Summer League is all about getting an early read on younger players, and Phoenix is finding out that Ulis can make the NBA transition a lot easier for his fellow rookies.

The story of Kuric's comeback from brain surgery is inspiring, but he is putting the experience further in the rear-view mirror with his performance in Las Vegas. Entering Thursay's game, the 6-4 guard was shooting a sizzling 60 percent from three-point range. That mark actually went down after he "only" hit 4-of-8 from beyond the arc against the Heat, finishing with 15 points.

Kuric's ability to get hot and stay hot without taking bad shots is no doubt earning him a lot of attention from various NBA personnel. With Devin Booker sitting out the remainder of Summer League, expect Kuric to continue seeing plenty of minutes starting in the backcourt alongside Ulis.

Troy Williams Stepped Up in Starter's Role

With Marquese Chriss sick and unable to play, the Summer Suns inserted their other pogo stick forward into the starting lineup. Williams responded with 15 points (5-of-9 shooting), eight rebounds and a steal in just over 30 minutes of playing time.

It's a luxury for Phoenix to boast so many athletes on its Summer League roster, especially with a pass-first guard like Ulis running the offense. Williams is proving, however, that he can do more than run and jump. The former Indiana Hoosier shot 2-of-5 from distance on Thursday while getting to the line for a team-high five free throw attempts.

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3 Observations from Summer Suns' Victory over Miami

If 2016 NBA Draft grades had to be handed out today, it sounds like the Suns would be on the honor roll.

Reporters and other media members gathered in Las Vegas have gotten an up-close look at Phoenix’s crop of rookies during Summer League play. Tyler Ulis, Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender all impressed at various points, leaving onlookers gushing about the young talent that is blossoming in the desert.

Here’s a look at some of the Summer Suns observations from various basketball experts:

Rely too heavily on the traditional box score and you’ll miss the true talent and impact of Bender, the fourth overall pick.. The 7-1 forward is averaging 8.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per contest, but his true value is found in his NBA skills rather than Summer League numbers.

The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks dubbed Bender “the most impressive rookie I saw in Vegas,” and revealed that other observers came away with similarly high opinions of the Suns rookie.

"A player as tall as Bender shouldn’t be able to move as fluidly as he does, and his age (he doesn’t turn 19 until November) belies his on-court savvy. The game was never too fast for him. He knew where the ball was supposed to go and he knows how to get to his spots. The scouts and executives in attendance came away raving about him."

Several Suns can be found among the Summer League stats leaders, but Ulis’ name appears the most often. The 34th overall pick in the draft is arguably playing the best of any point guard in Vegas, ranking second in both assists (6.3) and steals (4.7) per game.

The 5-11 guard’s poise on offense and aggressiveness on defense are making an early argument that Ulis is a jail-worthy steal of a second-round pick. ESPN.com’s Kevin Pelton dug deeper into the rookie’s performance:

"Ulis has been effective as a playmaker in Las Vegas, handing out seven assists against just one turnover Tuesday to bring his assist-to-turnover ratio to 19-to-2 through three games. And Ulis' quick hands have enabled him to come up with 14 steals in three games, including five Tuesday."

Word of a 40-inch vertical leap gets around quickly, and fans have been able to see Chriss’ hops up close in Vegas. His aerial assaults on the rim and opposing players’ shot attempts have been impressive, but other skills have shown themselves over the past week as well.

Through three games, the 6-10 forward is averaging 10.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per contest. Vice Sports writer Michael Pina delved deeper into Chriss’ Summer League showing:

"…he can also turn the hardwood into a trampoline, and as a thunderous tip dunk waiting to happen, he'll bring raw spirit to a team that remains thin at the position he's supposed to fill. 'I didn't know [Chriss] was that versatile with the ball," Suns rookie point guard Tyler Ulis said. "But he showed us some great things.'"

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Summer League Media Raves about Bender, Chriss and Ulis

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