Five Takeaways From 2024 NBA Summer League So Far

Getty Images/AP Images/Ringer illustration Reed Sheppard's across-the-board production, Stephon Castle's outsize impact, and the most interesting things we saw during the first weekend in Las Vegas They say what happens in Las Vegas stays in Vegas—but when it comes to 2024 NBA summer league, our writers are pulling back the curtain. These mini dispatches come from the Thomas & Mack Center, where Reed Sheppard made a strong first impression, the Wizards fielded the most incongruent starting lineup of the weekend, and lots more happened. There's plenty of basketball still to be played in Sin City, but these are the five most interesting things we saw during the first weekend. Reed Sheppard may already be too good for summer league. At first blush, Sheppard looks like one of the many squat game managers in Las Vegas toiling for their next contract. But from his very first summer league action, the 20-year-old rookie already looked too good for the early July showcase. Sheppard, the no. 3 pick, immediately displayed a steely confidence and command of the Rockets offense, penetrating into the teeth of the defense with quick, decisive moves and making fast reads and pinpoint...