NBA scout sizes up Heat’s top summer league players

There won’t be a championship parade for the group of Heat players that won the Las Vegas Summer League last month. But there potentially will be NBA opportunities for more of their players.

Since the Heat’s 6-0 run in Las Vegas, Miami has signed guard Josh Christopher to a two-way contract, cut guard Zyon Pullin and then signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal (which includes a training camp invitation). Meanwhile, Cole Swider signed a non-guaranteed standard contract with the Indiana Pacers.

A veteran NBA scout who attended summer league gave this feedback on several players on the Heat’s Las Vegas roster, offered on condition of anonymity:

▪ On Christopher, who emerged as a summer league standout for Miami after playing two seasons for the Houston Rockets and one in the G-League:

“He’s a very good athlete and has three-point range; that gives him a chance. He wasn’t very good for Houston. His feel for the game is very limited. He hasn’t been efficient as an NBA player [27.7 percent on threes; 73 assists, 60 turnovers].

“Maybe he revives his career. He can score. He’s still young. He’s got NBA talent. You don’t write him off. If he’s going to play in the NBA, he’s going to have a much more limited role [than the shoot-first starring role in summer league]. Can he make threes at a reasonable rate and play within himself and not think he’s a star? He needs to be an off-ball guy. He needs to accept he’s a 3 and D guy. If there’s any role for him, it’s that.”

Christopher was the MVP of the championship game and averaged 19.3 points, while shooting 54.1 percent from the field and 21 of 40 (52.5 percent) on threes in Las Vegas.

▪ On first-round pick Kel’El Ware, who averaged 18.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 58.4 percent from the field in eight summer league games:

“That’s a talent, a modern day five [center], can block shots, has size, length. That could turn out to be a very good pick. He gives them true size.”

The scout didn’t see any issue with his motor, which was a question mark in college, more so at Oregon than last season at Indiana.

“He could be this year’s Derrick Lively,” the scout said of the Duke rookie who was a key rotation member of the Mavericks’ NBA Finals team.

▪ On second-round pick Pelle Larsson, who averaged 15.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 6 of 13 (46.2 percent) on threes:

“I like him. High IQ, decent athlete, good body, can create a shot, can defend, competes. I think he’s going to be a good all-around player.”

▪ On 6-foot point guard Isaiah Stevens, who averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field and 7 of 11 (63.6 percent) from three-point range in six Las Vegas Summer League games:

“I like him. He can be a third point guard at least. Is he more than that? Hard to say. He’s small. He can run pick and roll, very good passer, a competitor, a playmaker, really good assist to turnover ratio. But it’s hard to see [a ton of] upside with his size.”

▪ On forward Keshad Johnson, who averaged 11.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in six summer league appearances for the Heat, while shooting 7 for 18 on threes:

“He can defend for sure and do other things. The question is whether he will be more than a bottom of the roster guy. I’ve got to watch more of him.”

▪ On forward Swider, who shot 26 of 53 (49.1 percent) from three-point range in seven summer league appearances and then left for the Pacers after the Heat opted not to offer him a standard contract:

“He’s a one trick pony, but that trick is what’s of value in the league. He gets off his shot quickly. He’s always going to get an opportunity because of the need for shooting. He has the profile like a Sam Hauser. He has a chance.”

▪ On guard Alondes Williams, who averaged 12 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 12 of 25 (48 percent) on threes in five Las Vegas appearances:

“He’s got NBA talent.”

But he’s still looking for an NBA job, even after a strong summer league performance.

▪ He said guard Pullin, who entered Summer League with a Heat two-way contract, “didn’t make much of an impression on me.” Pullin could end up on the Heat’s G-League team in South Dakota.