NBA Summer League 2023: Previewing Biggest Games on Las Vegas Schedule | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

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The 2023 NBA Summer League is all about the top selections from the 2023 NBA draft.

Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scott Henderson, Amen Thompson and Ausar Thompson will be must-see attractions starting on July 7 in Las Vegas.

Miller was the only one of the top five picks to play nationally televised games in college in the last year, so part of the Summer League draw is to watch the top prospects who some fans have never watched live.

Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will be the primary draw of the 10-day event, and that is evidenced by the opening night showdown with Miller and the Charlotte Hornets.

The No. 1 overall pick also gets to face Henderson and the Portland Trailblazers as part of the Spurs’ four-game schedule.

The non-Wembanyama games are intriguing as well, including the first battle between the Thompson brothers on their new teams.

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Friday, July 7 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Summer League opens with a marquee matchup between the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks.

Wembanyama will be the primary draw of the nationally-televised contest on Friday night because it will be the first time we get to see the Frenchman in action in a Spurs jersey.

All eyes will be on the seven-footer’s every move as we begin to figure out how much of an impact he can make in the NBA.

The final result will not matter much to viewers at home, or analysts sitting courtside, because the more important aspect of the game is how Wembanyama moves and which parts of the court he impacts.

Miller will be under the microscope as well, but we have a better understanding of his skill set from watching his freshman season at Alabama.

The No. 2 overall pick is dominant rim protector and a very good scorer who can make an even bigger impact in the NBA with a developed three-point shot.

Miller might be in a better position to succeed on Friday since he already played most of the Spurs Summer League players in the California Classic on Monday. San Antonio won by 19 points, but Miller scored 18 points and recorded five rebounds in 30 minutes.

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Sunday, July 9 (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

Every game Wembanyama plays in at Summer League will be must-watch television.

You do not need anyone to repetitively tell you that, but what will be interesting about Sunday’s contest against Portland is how the No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks play.

Henderson is arguably the most important prospect to watch in the 2023 draft class outside of Wembanyama.

Portland has not traded Damian Lillard yet, but if that happens in the offseason, or before the trade deadline, Henderson will be one of the faces of the franchise.

As of right now, Henderson is third behind Lillard and Anfernee Simons on the list of most notable Blazers players.

A handful of positive performances in Las Vegas, including against Wembanyama, can generate some buzz, with or without Lillard, for the Henderson era in Portland.

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Sunday, July 9 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

The lead-in game to the Wembanyama-Henderson showdown pits the Thompson brothers against each other for the first time in NBA jerseys.

Amen Thompson, the No. 4 overall pick, will lead the Houston Rockets against Ausar Thompson, the No. 5 overall pick, and the Detroit Pistons.

An iso camera on the Thompson brothers, if they guard each other, would be fascinating to watch, and it would be an innovative way to broadcast a Summer League contest.

The brotherly showdown could translate to a scoring competition between the two players, and that could make for great entertainment before Wembanyama hits the floor.

Amen Thompson will be Houston’s top draw, but the Rockets will be worth watching too to see how Cam Whitmore responds to his fall to No. 20.

Whitmore was viewed as a top-10 selection throughout the pre-draft process, so we could see three top-10 talents on the floor at once in this game.