It’s about time for your annual reminder that Summer League—though it has its benefits—doesn’t define what kind of career a young prospect is going to have. Superstars have struggled in the summer exhibition in years past, while players who represent the polar opposite flourished. If New Orleans Pelicans’ first overall pick Zion Williamson doesn’t immediately put up stats similar to what he did in college, fret not.
Over the past 12 years, only three players who won MVP of the Summer League have gone on to become NBA All-Stars; Blake Griffin, John Wall, and Damian Lillard.