Lanky 7-footer Chet Holmgren was expected to be a top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft even before taking the court for his single season at Gonzaga. Holmgren was drafted as the number two pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder in June, and in his first two games in Salt Lake City, he showed that he might just live up to his hype, averaging 17 points, nine-plus rebounds, and four blocks in 25 minutes per game. He also set the all-time summer league record with six blocks in a single game, while draining four 3-pointers on the other end of the court. In three games in Vegas, his numbers dipped to 12 points and under eight rebounds per game, even though he logged slightly more playing time on average. Beyond his stats, some of Holmgren’s moves have fans drawing comparisons to another skilled 7-footer who enjoyed a legendary Hall of Fame career: Dirk Nowitzki.

At 6’10” and with the strength and ability to shoot, handle the ball, make plays for teammates, and defend multiple positions, number one overall pick Paolo Banchero brings the type of complete game that has both Orlando Magic fans and management expecting the 19-year-old to make an immediate impact in the regular season. Just two games of summer ball were enough for this former Duke University star to show that he’s the real deal. Banchero averaged 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals in those two games, which happened to be Orlando’s only two wins in Vegas. The team went on to lose the next three games without him.

No other top-10 pick in this year’s draft played as many summer league games as the number four selection, Keegan Murray from Iowa University. In his seven games — four in Vegas and three in California — with the Sacramento Kings, Murray averaged almost 22 points and more than seven rebounds per game. The 6’8'' forward, who turns 22 next month, is the oldest of the first 13 picks in the draft. Murray is in position to play an immediately significant role for a Kings franchise, which boasts other young talent like De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, and is looking to make its first playoff bid since 2006.

At 6’7” and 275 pounds, with an array of offensive skills, 19-year-old Kenneth Lofton Jr. isn’t the type of NBA prospect fans often see. Lofton declared for the NBA Draft after just two seasons at Louisiana Tech University, a school that also produced Hall of Famer Karl Malone and 16-year veteran Paul Millsap. Lofton went undrafted, but in seven summer league games with the Memphis Grizzlies, he showed he might be deserving of a more secure future in the NBA. Averaging almost 15 points and more than six rebounds per game, he also held his own against the number two pick, Holmgren. In that matchup, Lofton scored 19 points, including baskets where he went directly at the 7-footer.

Signing with the San Antonio Spurs as the 25th pick in the draft, guard Blake Wesley from the University of Notre Dame barely squeezed into the first round. But in his five games in Las Vegas, the 19-year-old averaged 17 points per game, thereby showing that he can likely play an important role on a team that’s rebuilding after decades of dominance.

Athletic guard JD Davison decided to forgo his last three years of eligibility at the University of Alabama to enter the NBA Draft this year. Davison wound up getting drafted towards the end of the second round, as the 53rd pick overall, which puts him well out of reach of a guaranteed contract and roster spot. But the 6’2” floor general has been doing everything in his power to earn a roster spot, averaging 13 points and a NBA 2K23 Summer League-best eight assists for the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics in Vegas. The exclamation point was a superb 28-point and 10-assist performance against the Grizzlies last week.