Las Vegas Summer League: Top Performers Shine Bright
We're more than a week into the Las Vegas Summer League, and we've seen some fascinating performances. This is the time of year for youngsters to showcase their talents and for veterans to secure an elusive contract. It's an intriguing mixture of young players and older guys, so we're going to showcase some of the standout performances through the opening week!
Top Standout Performances from Las Vegas Summer League Week One
Matas Buzelis, Bulls 
Buzelis sat out Wednesday's game against the Bucks for rest, but it was a well-deserved respite following two impressive games to kick off action in Vegas. Buzelis, who averaged 8.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 assists over 80 regular-season games as a rookie in 2024, has put up 22.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steals over his first pair of Summer League contests, offering a glimpse of what he might be able to provide in what is expected to be a significantly expanded role in Year 2.
Ronald Holland III, Pistons 
Last year's fifth overall pick filled a modest role during his rookie campaign, seeing action in 81 regular-season contests but just 15.6 minutes per game and only two starts. Now, Holland is making the most of his summertime opportunity to make a case for more floor time in the coming season, shooting a blistering 52.8%, including 46.7% from 3-point range, on his way to 21.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 4.0 steals across 29.6 minutes over three games thus far in Vegas.
Kobe Bufkin, Hawks 
Bufkin has been firmly blocked on the Hawks' backcourt depth chart over his first two seasons following his selection with the 15th overall pick in 2023, but this summer, he's validating the investment made in him. Through his first three games in the desert, Bufkin has put up 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 26.8 minutes per contest. Granted, Bufkin's 35.4% shooting has been concerning, but he's largely offset that inefficiency by draining 96.0% of his 8.3 free-throw attempts per game.
A.J. Lawson, Raptors 
A scrappy wing who's stuck in the league after entering as an undrafted free agent in 2022, Lawson came into Vegas fresh off his best season yet in his first campaign in Toronto. Lawson averaged 9.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists across 18.7 minutes per contest over 26 games, with all the counting stats serving as career highs. Lawson's now getting a long look in Summer League action and taking advantage, averaging 20.7 points on outstanding 56.7% shooting, including 57.1% from behind the arc. Lawson's contributions have impressively been far from points-heavy as well, considering he's added 6.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks over just 23.7 minutes per game.
Rob Dillingham, Timberwolves 
Following his selection with the eighth overall pick in 2024, Dillingham unsurprisingly spent his rookie season playing relatively sparse minutes off Minnesota's bench. The former Kentucky Wildcat logged only 10.5 minutes per game and parlayed them into 4.5 points, 2.0 assists and 1.0 rebounds in 49 regular-season appearances, but he's being given plenty of run in Vegas (29.3 minutes per game) and has responded with 17.3 points, 6.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals over four games. With Nickeil Alexander-Walker now in Atlanta, Dillingham could be laying the groundwork for an exponential increase in opportunity during his upcoming second NBA season.
