Yasmina Chavez
Former UNLV rebel Brandon McCoy trains at Hoop City basketball training facility Friday, Sept. 20, 2019.
Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021 | 2 a.m.
The NBA Summer League is returning to Las Vegas this week, and the event seems to be picking up where it left off after the 2020 session was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. All 30 teams will participate, there will be fans in the stands, and most of the top selections from the recent draft will make their pro debuts.
One aspect of Summer League that feels different, however, is the absence of UNLV alums.
UNLV has generally produced more than its share of NBA-caliber prospects, especially for a mid-major program, but in recent years the pipeline has apparently slowed to a dribble. A cursory scan of the available rosters as of Friday revealed just one former player on a Summer League roster, as center Brandon McCoy was able to latch on with the Miami Heat.
It’s a far cry from even a few years ago, when you expected at least a half-dozen former UNLV players to dot various Summer League rosters. The program’s inability to deliver players to the pro level has coincided with an on-court swoon; UNLV has gone just 77-78 over the past five years, indicating a severe lack of talent moving through the Thomas & Mack Center.
While McCoy tries to make the most out of what may be his final chance at the NBA, other recent UNLV products like Stephen Zimmerman and Rashad Vaughn have already washed out; Zimmerman played last year in the Czech National League while Vaughn suited up in the Ukrainian League. Patrick McCaw was waived by the Toronto Raptors in April and has yet to find a new team.
Other former UNLV players are scattered across the globe in pro leagues of varying repute. Kris Clyburn is currently playing in the Israeli Premier League, while Tyrell Green is suiting up for the Ottawa Blackjacks of the Canadian Elite League. Jovan Mooring played two seasons in the G-League until the pandemic canceled the 2020-21 campaign. Roscoe Smith fought for a spot in The Basketball League this year and ended up as the Vegas Ballers’ leading scorer. Try as they might, they haven’t been able to divine their way back to Las Vegas for another Summer League opportunity.
It’s not all bad news for UNLV, though. Chris Wood went undrafted in 2015 and last offseason he signed a 3-year, $41-million contract with Houston. Khem Birch just signed a 3-year, $20-million deal with Toronto, and Derrick Jones signed a 2-year, $19-million contract with Portland last offseason. All three players had to go prove themselves in Summer League multiple times before catching on for good.
Time will tell if new coach Kevin Kruger will be able to up UNLV’s recruiting efforts to include NBA-caliber players in the near future, but for now, this summer will feel different with so little UNLV representation at Summer League.
Cade makes debut
Few teams need star power as much as Detroit, and the Pistons hope they got their man when they used the No. 1 overall pick to take Oklahoma State wing Cade Cunningham. It may not be a coronation, however, as top picks haven’t always impressed in Vegas.
Anthony Bennett looked lost in 2013 and stayed lost. Markelle Fultz shot the lights out in Summer League, then stopped shooting altogether. Zion Williamson came in overweight and got hurt, but has seemingly overcome that obstacle after two years in the league. So it’s no sure thing that Cunningham will ball out from the opening tip.
Key games: Sunday vs. Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Houston, 6 p.m.
Rockets show off young talent
Houston owned the first round of the 2021 draft, and their treasure trove of rookie prospects will make their debuts this week.
The headliner is No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green, who skipped college and averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the G-League Ignite last year. He’ll be joined by No. 16 pick Alperen Sengun and No. 24 pick Josh Christopher, a high-scoring guard who played his AAU ball with Vegas Elite.
Key games: Sunday vs. Cleveland, 3:30 p.m.; Tuesday vs. Pistons, 6 p.m.
McCoy hooks on with Heat
Brandon McCoy was a huge recruit for Marvin Menzies in 2017, and he turned in a solid freshman season with 16.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He elected to declare for the draft after one year and a lack of athleticism and poor defense has made it hard for him to gain traction as a professional; McCoy has bounced between the Bucks’ and Pelicans’ G-League affiliates, and most recently he played in the Serbian League.
This could be the final NBA opportunity for the 25-year-old 7-footer.
Key games: Sunday vs. Denver, 7 p.m.; Wednesday vs. Memphis, 2 p.m.
Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.
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