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NBA 2K23 Summer League: Futures, Predictions and Picks To Win

Nick Galaida Thu 7/7 7:01am PT
Image Credit: Imagn

On Thursday, the NBA 2K23 Summer League will begin at the Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The top draft picks from this past summer will be on full display during the 11-day competition, highlighted top pick, Paolo Banchero.

The games will get underway with a doubleheader airing on ESPN Thursday evening.

The first action of the night will pit Banchero and the Orlando Magic against Jabari Smith and the Houston Rockets. The Rockets’ summer league roster will also have the 17th overall draft selection, Tari Eason. Fans staying up for the nightcap will be treated to a matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers. Detroit selected prize prospect Jaden Ivey out of Purdue with the 5th overall selection.

Portland had the 7th overall pick, choosing to go with Shaedon Sharpe out of Kentucky. Fans will be able to get an entire day of hoops on Friday, when the Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves will all be in action.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the tournament from a betting perspective before revealing the team we think has a chance to walk away as champions.

2022 NBA Summer League Picks

Orlando Magic

The Magic, of course, have the number one overall draft pick on their summer league roster, but Banchero is not the sole reason that this team has a chance to win a title in this 11-day competition.

The Orlando summer league also has a number of second- and third-year players on its roster, such as R.J. Hampton, who earned himself plenty of playing time last season, appearing in 64 games and averaging 21.9 minutes per contest.

Against legitimate NBA talent, Hampton averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Factoring in experience and motivation, Hampton is the type of player who could make an abundance of noise over the next few weeks. At +1400 odds, the Magic could be worth a small wager to take home hardware on July 17th.

Houston Rockets

After securing multiple first-round picks in the draft, the Rockets have no shortage of talent entering action on Thursday.

Smith and Eason figure to form one of the most dynamic duos in this competition, with both players having high ceilings and plenty of athleticism.

Eason was an impactful defender at LSU, and could play a role similar to the one that Davion Mitchell played for the Sacramento Kings last summer in their route to a title. Per NBA.com, Eason allowed only 0.75 points per one-on-one possession last year, with an ability to play high-quality defense against both guards and bigger-body players.

Josh Christopher is another name to watch, after playing in 74 games for the Rockets during the regular season last year. In 18.0 minutes per game, he averaged 7.9 points on 44.8 percent shooting from the field.

He could be a surprise source of offense, playing against inferior younger talent in these games. Houston may give other teams problems over the next couple of weeks.