Must See TV: 5 Las Vegas Summer League Games to Watch (and 4 Knicks to Keep an Eye On)

After discussing free agent signings and debating hypothetical trades the past few weeks, we'll get to relax on the couch and watch some actual basketball games over the next few days as the 2023 Las Vegas Summer League tips off Friday night. 

All 30 NBA teams will be represented in Vegas, and a total of 76 games will be played over 11 days. Each team will play at least five games, with four of those games being played from July 7-14. After each team has played four games, the top four will advance to the playoffs, and the other 26 will participate in a consolation contest. 

​​All 76 games will be televised on ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews) or NBA TV and will also be available on the NBA App.

Here are the five games that generating the most buzz:

🏀 Friday, July 7: Charlotte vs. San Antonio 9:00 PM ESPN
Yes, the long-awaited debut of Victor Wembanyma in a Spurs jersey. Some have argued Wemby is the best prospect ever to enter the league. I disagree (placing LeBron, Kareem, Walton etc., ahead of Wembanyma). Still, the young Frenchman is undoubtedly carrying an almost unprecedented amount of hype in this day and age of social media. We get our first glimpse of his outlandish skill set Friday night. And as a bonus, the Spurs will be taking on the Hornets, who selected Brandon Miller with the second pick after Wemby was off the board.

🏀 Friday, July 7: Portland vs. Houston 7:00 PM ESPN
As an appetizer Friday night, before the Wembanyma-packed main course, we'll get to watch the third and fourth picks in the 2023 NBA draft: Portland's PG Scoot Henderson and Rockets rookie Amen Thompson. These two teenagers will look to put on a show. In many other years, Scoot would have been a quality top overall pick, and he'll enter the league with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after falling to 3. And the fast-paced tempo of Summer League action will give him a chance to put together a highlight reel in Vegas. This game will also feature last year's No. 2 overall selection, Jabari Smith, as well as the pro debut of Villanova's Cam Whitmore, whom the Rockets nabbed after he slid all the way down to 20 on draft day. 

🏀 Saturday, July 8: OKC vs. Dallas 4:30 PM ESPN2
I had to get at least one Thunder game on this list, as they have a loaded lineup featuring Chet Holmgren (the #3 overall pick last season, who is listed at 208 pounds, up from 195 last season), Jalen Williams (last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up), Ousmane Dieng, Cason Wallace (2023 lottery pick out of Kentucky), Jaylin Williams, Keyontae Johnson and Tre Mann. As for Dallas, they'll bring their two first-round picks, Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

🏀 Sunday, July 9: San Antonio vs. Portland 8:00 PM ESPN2
Wemby vs. Scoot! Get your popcorn ready!

🏀 Sunday, July 9th: Detroit vs. Houston 6:00 PM ESPN2
The aforementioned Amen will square off against his twin brother Ausar (who Detroit took with the fifth overall pick) for the first time ever as the Pistons and the Rockets square up Sunday. Both Thompson Twins spent last season playing in the Overtime Elite league, so we have yet to see much of them in competitive game settings. 

* Knicks Vegas Vacation *

The Knicks have made only one draft picks over the past two years, so their Summer League roster doesn't boast nearly the same marque names or star power as many of the league's other clubs, but Knicks fans (and, of course, Thibs and the front office) will keep a close eye on the New York contingent. In particular, these four players will draw the most attention:

* Isaiah Roby
As I detailed earlier in the week, there has been plenty of handwriting regarding the Knicks' lack of a backup power forward now that Obi Toppin is headed to Indiana. Well, Roby, whom New York signed to a two-year deal on the final day of the 2022-23 regular season, is hoping to earn that spot, and he'll get a chance to start making his case this weekend in Vegas. 

Roby, 25, was initially drafted out of Nebraska with the 45th overall pick of the 2019 draft by Dallas before being shipped to OKC in January 2020. He would go on to appear in 109 games (including 62 starts) for the Thunder over three seasons, averaging 9.1 points (on 49.5% shooting), 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.7 three-pointers, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in 21.9 minutes per game. OKC waived him last July, and the Spurs picked him up. Roby played 42 games for San Antonio in 2022-23, logging just over 11 minutes per night. Standing 6'8" and weighing 230 pounds, with a 7'3" wingspan, Roby has the physical tools to make his presence felt. 

Interestingly, Michael Scotto of Hoopshype reported on Thursday, "With Toppin's departure and not landing a power forward in free agency… The Knicks currently plan to give Isaiah Roby an opportunity as the primary backup forward to Julius Randle."

The Knicks did announce the signing of Obi's brother, Jacob Toppin, on Thursday. However, Jacob will not play in Vegas due to an injury. 

* Jaylen Martin
Martin spent last season in Overtime Elite's developmental league and entered the 2023 draft but didn't have his name called. The Knicks scooped up the raw but remarkably athletic 19-year-old shortly after the draft ended. Martin averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game for the YNG Dreamerz in 2022-23. 

The 6'6" wing is a physical freak, blessed with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and an 8-foot-5 standing reach. Martin shot below 27% from downtown this past season, but that was on a small sample size. We'll get an up-close look at his game over the next few days. 

* DaQuan Jeffries
Jeffries excelled in the G-League for the Westchester Knicks in 2022-23, averaging 20.2 points (on 49.2% shooting), 6.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.4 treys, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocks across 25 games. Encouragingly, he also shot 38.7% from downtown. In the 47 games he's played in the NBA over the past three seasons, Jeffries converted 29.1% of his three-point attempts. He must show he can consistently knock down three-balls to stick on an NBA roster. 

* Trevor Keels
The Knicks selected Keels with the 42nd overall pick in the 2022 draft, and there was some hope he'd earn his way onto the big league club at some point. However, he had a relatively disappointing season in the G League last year, averaging 13.9 points (7th on the team on scoring), 2.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists (vs. 2.2 turnovers) while shooting 42.5% from the floor and 35.5% from deep. 

New York’s first game is Saturday vs. the Sixers. Here is their full schedule:

July 8: Philadelphia (5 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
July 9: Brooklyn (5:30 p.m. ET, NBA TV)
July 12: Orlando (8 p.m. ET, ESPN2)
July 14: Boston (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

New York's fifth and final game time, date, and opponent will be determined based on their performance in their first four contests.