The second day of the Orlando Summer League saw the Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets take the floor. A pair of Long Beach State players impressed and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope continued his success.

Caldwell-Pope Continues Scoring Surge

The early story from the Orlando Summer League has been the success of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The 6-foot-5 second year shooting guard topped his 26-point showing on Saturday with 30 points and 12 rebounds on Sunday.

Caldwell-Pope has shown a well-rounded scoring arsenal with a mixture of drives to the basket, mid-range jumpers, and three-pointers. He’s done a good job getting to the foul line as well, with 17 free throw attempts in the past two games.

On Sunday, Caldwell-Pope was 10-of-20 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range. He had four mid-range jumpers and a pair of slashing layups. His length helps him in the rebounding department and as a man-to-man defender. Caldwell-Pope was clearly the best player on the floor and as last year’s eighth overall selection, it made sense.

This is a good sign from Caldwell-Pope, who is expected to contribute as a rotational player next season. It may only be summer league action, but he looks confident as an overall scorer.

Napier and Ennis Lead Heat

After Shabazz Napier had a forgettable 3-of-15 shooting display with eight turnovers on Saturday, he got back to his old form with 17 points and seven assists against Brooklyn while shooting 6-of-12 from the floor.

“It was a tough game for me because that was actually the first game that I ever was super nervous for,” Napier said on NBA TV about his debut. “I played like I was nervous, I played like I didn’t play four years of college basketball. My teammates were just encouraging me, my coaches were encouraging me, and I just wanted to come out here after I watched the film with better effort. My biggest thing for myself was to compete on defense and that would create my offense.”

Napier looked like the player most expected to see on Saturday, with some pretty assists to go with a pair of mid-range jumpers and a three-pointer. He had a nice bounce back performance and will look to continue the success moving forward. Napier nearly cracked the Rookie Tracker, but his previous performance and another five turnovers on Sunday leave him on the bubble.

His teammate, James Ennis, was torching nets against Brooklyn. He poured in 29 points while shooting 10-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from behind the arc. He also had a soaring dunk in transition that highlighted his athleticism. Ennis was a second round pick from Long Beach State last season, but played overseas while expecting to return this year.

Ennis has become a serious candidate to not only make the Miami roster, but also become a bench contributor. After scoring 18 points in the opening game, he’s having a nice start to the Orlando Summer League.

Ware Sparks Short-Handed 76ers

With Pierre Jackson going down yesterday and Nerlens Noel sitting out for a rest day, second year point guard Casper Ware lifted Philadelphia to a win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A teammate with Ennis at Long Beach State, Ware went undrafted in 2012 and spent the majority of the past two seasons in Italy. At the end of last season, Ware played with the 76ers and ended up seeing double-digit minutes in the final three games of the year. He was expected to compete with Jackson for a roster spot, but is now a likely candidate to make the team.

Ware had a team-high 20 points against the Thunder, going 8-for-16 from the field and 3-for-7 from three-point range. He also had five assists and five rebounds.

At 5-foot-10, Ware lacks size, but wasn’t afraid to attack the basket and was a pesky defender. He picked up his man full court on occasions and made his opponents work. Ware had five turnovers, which he’ll need to improve, but will be one to follow. He’s a high-energy point guard who should find an NBA roster.

Undrafted Rookies of Note

Each summer league has unknown rookies step up to the level of competition and draw the attention of scouts, not only of the NBA, but around the globe. While there’s a scare amount of spots in the NBA, it should be remembered that there are plenty of opportunities to play around the world. Players may be hoping to make an NBA squad, but can still use this as an opportunity to showcase their skills to teams overseas.

Memphis had a pair of point guards play well in Scottie Wilbekin and Joe Jackson. Wilbekin didn't have a stat-stuffing game, with two points and two assists, but ran the offense well and impressed defensively. He’s a proven winner who was successful at Florida last season and will certainly have opportunities overseas. Joe Jackson, a local product who played at Memphis, had 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. He’s a quick floor general who can score at a high level. The undrafted duo will be fringe NBA prospects to follow in Orlando.

The Philadelphia 76ers also had two undrafted rookies who drew attention. Ronald Roberts Jr., an undersized power forward from Saint Joseph’s, had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go with five offensive rebounds. He had a pair of impressive dunks to show his athleticism. He may not make an NBA roster, but should have a career playing basketball overseas. His summer league teammate, Travis Bader, also put his name out there. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard had 13 points while shooting 4-of-7 from the field. He’s an elite shooter who made the most three-point field goals in NCAA Division I history. Bader struggled keeping his man in front defensively, but was a weapon as a shot maker.

Former Fresno State guard Tyler Johnson was another pleasant surprise. He didn’t play for the Heat on Saturday, but was given 13 minutes against Brooklyn and made the most of it. He scored 14 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting, including a 2-of-2 showing from three-point range. It was just a glimpse, but he will be one to track the rest of the week.

MVP Tracker

1. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons (Previous: 1)
Sunday’s Line: 30 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists

We discussed Caldwell-Pope’s strong start to the Orlando Summer League above. He’s the early MVP of the event and remains in the top spot.

2. James Ennis, Miami Heat (Previous: NR)
Sunday’s Line: 29 points, 4 rebounds

After a solid performance on Saturday in which Ennis finished with 18 points (5-11 FG, 2-2 3FG) and eight rebounds, he was barely left off the MVP tracker due to a loss. But Ennis was unstoppable on Sunday, as we talked about above, and moved into the second spot.

3. Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets (Previous: 2)
Sunday’s Line: 18 points

Plumlee was not as dominant as he was on Saturday, but still scored 18 points while shooting 6-of-7 from the field. He did a good job drawing contact, yet struggled to convert and was only 6-of-12 from the free throw line. Plumlee still looked strong down low and remains in the MVP Tracker.

4. Jordan Adams, Memphis Grizzlies (Previous: 3)
Sunday’s Line: 20 points, 7 rebounds

Adams moved into the starting lineup on Sunday and continued to play well. He wasn’t draining as many threes as he did on Saturday, but impacted the game as a rebounder and defender. He was 6-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-3 from deep with seven rebounds. He showed some struggles creating his own shot, but is an elite shot up shooter who uses screens effectively.

5. Kelly Olynyck, Boston Celtics (Previous: 4)
Sunday’s Line: No Game

Rookie Tracker

1. Jordan Adams, Memphis Grizzlies (Previous: 1)
Sunday’s Line: 20 points, 7 rebounds

Adams remained in the top spot after scoring 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He did show some struggles creating his own shot, with three turnovers, but has been the top rookie in Orlando early on.

2. Nick Johnson, Houston Rockets (Previous: 2)
Sunday’s Line: No Game

3. Chris Crawford, Houston Rockets (Previous: 3)
Sunday’s Line: No Game

4. Mike Moser, Boston Celtics (Previous: 4)
Sunday’s Line: No Game

5. Jarnell Stokes, Memphis Grizzlies (Previous: NR)
Sunday’s Line: 16 points, 12 rebounds

After scoring 10 points (5-12 FG) and grabbing five rebounds on Saturday, Stokes had a double-double on Sunday. He debuts in the Rookie Tracker due to his gritty performance. Stokes had an eye-popping reverse dunk and showed some potential as a mid-range shooter.