Orlando Summer League 2013: Unsung Players To Look Out For

As the calendar turns to July, NBA prospects worldwide will be making their way to Vegas and/or Orlando to prove their skills during Summer League. While the main focus will be on the top lottery picks from last month's NBA Draft, scouts will have their eyes transfixed on some of the undrafted or D-League prospects that have fallen through the cracks. Some of these names might be familiar if you consider yourself a fan of the college or D-League game but they could also be that next unsung hero for your favorite NBA team.

James Nunnally (Miami Heat)- The former Bakersfield Jam role player will be trying to make an impact on Miami's Summer League team. Nunnally is the ultimate 3 and D player who can spread the floor offensively (shot 40% from 3 last year) while being able to defend some of the best guards the D-League had to offer. Because of the wide array of veterans on the pro roster, Miami has filled their Summer League rosters with undrafted free agents (Kabongo, Dewayne Dedmon and Jackie Carmichael). It wouldn't be out of the question to see Nunnally play productive minutes in Orlando with the Heat.

Myck Kabongo (Miami Heat)- Sticking with the Heat, Kabongo will go into Summer League and the offseason as one of the more interesting undrafted free agents, because of his combination of youth and quickness. At 21 years old, Kabongo has a full career ahead of him.

Because of the aforementioned quickness, Kabongo has no problem getting to the rim, but needs to work more on his perimeter game (shot 29% from 3 last year) if he wants to make as an NBA player. With Miami's Summer League team, he'll be one of the focal points and will have the opportunity to play against solid rookie guards like Utah's Trey Burke or Orlando's Victor Oladipo.

BJ Young (Houston Rockets)- The goal of the D-League is to develop players who made an impact on the college game, but haven't developed the skills that are suitable for the NBA. A prime example of that would be BJ Young, the undrafted shooting guard out of Arkansas.

Young is a quick and athletic 6'3 guard who has the ball-handling ability to get to the rim, but struggles immensley when he's asked to score from outside the paint. The lack of perimeter ability, defensive issues, and questions about his overall character scared NBA teams away and forced Young into this situation.

While Summer League is used to show off the talents of undrafted players like Young, he will have the unlucky honor of playing with the Rockets, who have a roster filled with players who are under contract with the big league club or were members of the D-League champion Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

Rick Jackson (Utah Jazz)- Despite not playing a single moment in Utah's inagural Summer League matchup, Jackson is the type of player who could make a positive impact if he's given an opportunity. Alongside JaMychal Green, Jackson formed one of the more lethal rebounding duos in the D-League, which helped lead the Austin Toros within two games from an appearance in The Finals.

Despite his 6'9 frame, Jackson is an extremely hard-worker who puts in the effort required to grab rebounds over bigger and taller opponents. With the uncertainty surrounding his Summer League future, Jackson will have to put in the extra effort to make his way onto the D-League Select Team in Vegas or get an invitation to join an NBA team for training camp in the fall.

Tony Mitchell (Boston Celtics)- Former D-League Rookie of the Year Tony Mitchell will be going into Orlando Summer League with an opportunity to showcase himself in front of a bevy of NBA scouts. After a season-ending injury to Luke Harangody, Mitchell was immediately inserted as the top-scoring threat on the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Averaging over 26 points per contest after the All-Star break, Mitchell showed off a fearless offensive approach which worked well because of athleticism but still is still inconsistent from around the perimeter. With that said, he has already made a solid impact after the first game (16 points on 5-10 shooting) that mainly consisted of off-ball movement that showed off the athleticism