Greg Oden and Kevin Durant lose out in the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League

Hopeful rookies finally get to show their talents against more experienced players , but the dice didn't role for the two top draft picks.

FAN NEWS (Greg Varkonyi, Sportingo) - How important is Summer League play? What should we make of the horrendous outings that the top two picks of the 2007 draft had? Are a bunch of fringe NBA players really that much better than the top half of this draft class?

These questions arose after opening games for most rookies fell far short of expectations. The most notable bad moments were seen from top picks Greg Oden and Kevin Durant. Oden managed to foul out despite the Summer League’s lenient 10 foul rule, while Durant had a dreadful shooting night coronated with his very first shot attempt being sent into the rows of fans sitting courtside.

I urge everyone to calm down however. Summer league IS important, but its relevance is mostly that these young players can come to grips with the quicker, more physical NBA game. Does the bad performances from Oden, Durant, Nick Young or any other rookie mean anything? In all fairness the only thing it means is that they are human after all.

There were a few fantastic rookie performances, most notably by Marco Belinelli. Golden State coach Don Nelson is probably ecstatic about having this kid in his line-up. The Italian is the top scoring rookie thus far with 25 points per game (third among all scorers) with a crispy clean 50% shooting efficiency. The way he’s shooting from long range he should earn himself the nickname: The Assassin.

China’s Yi Jianlian had a heck of an opening game against the Memphis Grizzlies. He traded point for point and dunk for dunk with Rudy Gay. As his status with the Milwaukee Bucks is getting more positive by each passing minute GM Larry Harris has to be pretty happy about his draft selection. Yi’s performance against the New York Knicks the other night might have been atrocious, but it is all a part of the growing pains that come hand in hand with switching from the Chinese league to the NBA.

Mike Conley Jr. has clearly shown he is a lightning bolt. He is averaging nice numbers in points, rebounds, assists and steals, but it is the energy that he brings to the team whenever he steps on the floor that is the most noticeable. I also must mention Aaron Afflalo and Rodney Stuckey, as both Pistons draft picks look like genuine NBA players. Javaris Crittenton is also looking like a player who will immediately fit into Phil Jackson’s triangle offense.

Other rookies that have made a nice impression are: Wilson Chandler, Randolph Morris and Demetrious Nichols of the New York Knicks as all have shown the type of hustle that head coach Isiah Thomas covets, and Nichols has also been lights out from downtown; Philadelphia’s Jason Smith has been showcasing the talent and potential that had him move up on the draft board; Denver coach George Karl’s son, Coby Karl, has been showing signs of being NBA ready as a member of the Lakers summer league team; Philadelphia’s Louis Williams has been lighting it up from everywhere. He’s a tweener - in-between two positions - but he could become a heck of a scoring guard. On the other end of the point guard spectrum, one can find Aaron Brooks, Houston’s big find who is only the leading assist man so far with 8 dimes per clip.

Scanning the “veterans” on the teams you can really get a feel for who is ready for a major improvement next season. Marcus Banks in his only outing has just broken the summer league record for points in one game. He’s been sitting in Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni’s doghouse this past year, and this one game performance might have been just the frustration finally coming out, but he will certainly be worth watching from now on.

Sacramento’s Francisco Garcia is trying to pull a Kevin Martin on us. Martin used last year’s summer competition to forewarn us about the monster season he was about to have. This year Garcia’s numbers quite resemble those seen from Martin one year ago.

It does not take a rocket scientist to know LaMarcus Aldridge will have a monster season. It is common sense as he inherits the majority of Zach Randolph’s playing time. Yet the reckless abandon with which he is attacking the boards so far has to be seen to be believed. The guy is averaging 21 points and 11 rebounds with an efficiency rating of +25. That would have landed him a Top 5 power forward spot last season.

New York’s Renaldo Balkman is once again making everyone go wow. His combination of hustle and improved anticipation on the defensive end has made this New York summer league squad an absolute monster. By the way, Nate Robinson is at it again, scoring at will, but it is a nice change to see him dish out a respectable seven assists per contest.

Minnesota’s Craig Smith has been the most efficient player after the superhuman effort of Marcus Banks according to the PER (Player efficiency rating). His 25 points and 7 rebounds per game sounds about what the Timberwolves would need to help Kevin Garnett reach the play-offs again. If only Craig were to have this same production during the regular season.

With Oden out due to surgery, Durant becomes the top headliner of this summer. But fret not, as there is some quality basketball action to be had. You can check many of the games out on the NBA’s official website, where live webcasts are being made available.

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