There are numerous reasons why NBA teams take part in summer league, but perhaps the most important is to get a good evaluation of new draft picks.
The Cavaliers wrapped up their Vegas Summer League experience Friday with a 70-65 victory over the Toronto Raptors to finish 3-2. But the win didn't put smiles on the Cavs' officials faces -- the play of first-round pick Shannon Brown did.
Brown scored 17 points in the victory and finished the five games averaging 14 points on 50 percent shooting, 2.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Those stats look nice enough, but their value is somewhat superficial as well.
What lit up Cavs coach Mike Brown was watching his new guard's attitude, technique and poise.
Like how Shannon Brown knew how to attack pick-and-rolls in spells when he was at point guard, not a style he was used to at Michigan State. Or how he would pick things up quickly in practice. And how he wanted to win and delivered when games were on the line, as he did in leading a late comeback Friday.
``Shannon did some things that are hard to teach,'' Mike Brown said. ``He was impressive in a lot of areas, especially some you wouldn't think this early in his career.''
Second-round pick Daniel Gibson looked solid in his time on the floor, mostly spent at point guard. He averaged nine points and 3.5 assists and showed some good instincts. He was selective in his shots, which helped him shoot 54 percent from the field.
Free-agent forward Brandon Hunter, who starred at Ohio University and has played two years in the NBA, might have played his way into a training-camp invitation. He averaged 9.6 points and 9.2 rebounds and looked very strong around the basket.
Last year's second-round pick, Martynas Andriuskevicius, missed the end of the league with a calf strain, but the coaches said they saw some improvement in the 20-year-old.
The standout player, though, was Shannon Brown. On offense, he looked strong. On defense, his work ethic matched his reputation.
``People have always said that I'm not a true point guard or a true shooting guard and what I can't do,'' he said. ``I don't pay attention to that. I just want to compete and that's what I tried to do here.''
Wesley interest
Published reports Friday linked the Cavs to free-agent guard David Wesley, who played last season for the Houston Rockets. The 35-year-old veteran averaged 9.9 points and shot 40 percent in 71 games (59 starts) for the Rockets last season. Wesley was in Las Vegas, as were Cavs officials, during the past week.
Waiting on Ugboaja
Cavs lawyers and the NBA are working with the State Department in an attempt to secure a visa for Nigerian second-round draft pick Ejike Ugboaja. Ugboaja has had his applications denied by the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria.
He's attempting to come to the United States this month with the Nigerian national team in advance of the World Championships.
The Cavs don't plan on signing Ugboaja this year, but were hopeful he could come and work out in Cleveland.
