Well that's it. The Orlando Summer League drew to a close today, feeling somewhat anticlimactic as most NBA players sat and many free agents were on their way to Vegas. Since most people visiting Ridiculous Upside are probably doing so as a way to see who's looking good and bad at Summer League in lieu of a recap of each game, Scott has saddled me made the brilliant decision to bring back the lovely Monstars and Nonstars that we employed during the D-League playoffs. These are the three(-ish) best and non-best players of the day, again sticking with players you may not be familiar with.
I may write a broader wrap-up of the Orlando action this weekend, but overall I didn't see too many players who looked totally out of their element. There were some who struggled, certainly, some repeatedly so. NBA teams looking for cheap, quality non-roster talent should be able to find options among players present.
Hit the jump for the Monstars and Nonstars from Orlando's final day.
Monstars
- Paul Davis, PF/C, Orlando Magic - I've heard rumors that Davis will start the year in Europe, so this may be a bit moot, but he continued his overall good performance this week by finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds, three steals and a block. Even if we get rid of his free-throw shooting, since that likely wouldn't have carried over to the NBA, he still shot 5-7 from the field; he also played some nice defense, both on his man and in double-teaming others. One sequence saw him double Daniel Orton's man, then recover in time to intercept a pass intended for his man, who was cutting to the basket.
- Curtis Stinson, PG, Orlando Magic - Stinson started off slow in the final game, but ended up with 14 points on eight shots, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals. He also didn't turn the ball over or commit a foul, an impressive feat for almost 34 minutes of playing time. He now heads to Vegas to run the point for Toronto's team, and he'll have a little more competition for playing time with Bobby Brown.
- Jermareo Davidson, PF/C, Utah Jazz - After getting lost in Utah's big man shuffle, Davidson finally was able to get some extended playing time and made the most of it. With Rod Benson having left for Vegas and the Jazz sitting Kosta Koufos, Davidson played 21 minutes and shot 7-11 for 16 points to go with seven boards. This looks like it was Davidson's only Summer League stop, and this could be the performance that gets him an training camp invite.
Nonstars
- Thomas Heurtel, PG, Indiana Pacers - Well, so much for that. Heurtel continued to show that he still needs work to be a legit NBA prospect, missing both of his shots and picking up zero assists against a pair of fouls and three turnovers (with one rebound). Heurtel is certainly talented, and he's likely worth keeping an eye on, but unlike some other players, his going undrafted doesn't seem to be a fluke.
- Donell Taylor, SG, Orlando Magic - Taylor had played well the rest of the week, but had a very poor performance to close it out. Three turnovers and 1-8 shooting, although he also came up with four assists and a pair of rebounds. This performance shouldn't undo the good he did to his NBA chances Monday-Thursday, though, and a team looking for a backup who can defend and do a little bit of everything on offense would do well to look his way.
- Ben Uzoh, SG, New Jersey Nets - I don't think I've mentioned Uzoh at all this week, and that's because he's been...okay. Pretty hit and miss. Terrence Williams was handling point guard duties for the Nets team, so Uzoh spent most of his time playing off the ball. WIth Williams, Damion James and Derrick Favors on the roster there wasn't much chance for Uzoh to show what he can do, and given that chance to day he needed eight shots to score six points. Whoops. He did grab two rebounds and pick up two assists, but he also turned it over three times. Whoops.
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