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Blazers: 3 things to watch for as Portland tips off in NBA Vegas Summer League

By Matt George Moore

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: A basketball is shown on the court during the championship game of the 2017 Summer League between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Portland Trail Blazers at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Los Angeles won 110-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 17: A basketball is shown on the court during the championship game of the 2017 Summer League between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Portland Trail Blazers at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Los Angeles won 110-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Portland Trail Blazers start summer play Saturday in Las Vegas against the Utah Jazz. Here’s what we’ll be looking for this weekend.

The NBA’s Summer League tipped off Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sacramento, California. But for Portland Trail Blazers fans, the big news came that same day as the team announced the roster for its own games — to be played in Las Vegas Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday, July 10.

Here’s what the official release says (all times PDT):

"Portland will tip-off its 2018 NBA Summer League schedule on Saturday, July 7 against the Utah Jazz (12:00 p.m.), followed by a game on Sunday, July 8 vs. Atlanta (2:30 p.m.), before closing out the preliminary round on Tuesday, July 10 vs. San Antonio (1:00 p.m.). The first and third games will be played at Cox Pavilion, while Sunday’s contest will be at the Thomas & Mack Center. Both facilities are located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas."

Portland will host a four-day summer training camp Tuesday through Friday at the team’s practice facility in Tualatin.

More from Blazers News

2018 Trail Blazers Summer League Roster

Wade Baldwin, G

Archie Goodwin, G

John Jenkins, G

K.J. McDaniels, G/F

Langston Morris-Walker, G

Anfernee Simons, G

Gary Trent Jr., G

Casper Ware, G

Jake Layman, F

MiKyle McIntosh, F

Caleb Swanigan, F

Zach Collins, C

Georgios Papagiannis, C

Here are three things to look for.

1. Rookies

This will be Rip City’s first chance to see rookies Simons and Trent Jr.

Simons was chosen with the 24th overall pick. He’s a scintillating offensive talent, but he’s never faced competition like he will in the Summer League – much less the regular season NBA. Just 19 years old, he’s still slightly built (6-foot-3, 181 pounds). It will be interesting to watch him navigate the court surrounded by giants.

Trent Jr. — picked up in a draft-night trade — is hyped as a player with an NBA-ready body (6-foot-6, 204 pounds) and an NBA-ready three-point shot. Also just 19, we’re looking forward to seeing just how well he can shoot the ball from deep.

We’re also keeping an eye on McIntosh, an undrafted rookie out of the University of Oregon. He’s a 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward with a penchant for picking up loads of fouls. Can he be a big Blazers body now that Ed Davis has left for Brooklyn?

2. Guards

Portland is awash in guards. Eight of the 13 players on the Summer League squad play the position. As we mentioned in No. 1 above, both of its draft-night acquisitions are guards. And Portland has added two more to its regular roster during free agency: Nik Stauskas and Seth Curry.

But in addition to Simons and Trent Jr., Wade Baldwin is the guard to watch in Vegas. With the loss of Shabazz Napier to free agency, it will likely be Baldwin who will be tasked with running the Blazers’ second-team offense next season.

WBIV was impressive in limited action during the latter part of the 2017-2018 season. Look for him to get his teammates involved — but also to jack up a bunch of shots and play hard-nosed, in-your-face defense.

Rip City needs Baldwin to excel in his role as backup point guard. Hard to imagine a scenario in which the Blazers are successful in 2018-2019 without that. Curry waits in the wings if Baldwin can’t shoulder the regular-season, backup-point-guard load.

3. Big Men

Finally, we’ll be watching Collins, Swanigan, Layman and Papagiannis.

Portland’s guard-heavy lineup means the big men will have to be extra efficient during their time on the court. And with Davis’ departure, it certainly seems like the Blazers are staking their future on Collins and Swanigan.

Look for Collins to dominate. He’s now a fairly seasoned second-year player, and will certainly be looking to make up for what was a pedestrian outing the last time he played in the Summer League.

Swanigan will be expected to make up for the loss of Davis. Watch for him to grab a lot of boards, set a lot of picks and generally muck up the interior with his size. There have been questions about his foot speed, especially on defense, so keep an eye on that, as well. And — last but not least — let’s see if his outside shot has improved.

Layman hasn’t done much during his time with Portland. But like every Blazers player on the Summer League roster, he’s going to be expected to deliver more than he has done so far. Let’s see if he steps up his game in Vegas.

Next: Blazers almost acquired DeMarcus Cousins in a sign-and-trade

And then there’s Papagiannis. What will he bring to Vegas? Portland needs a back-up center (again to replace the irreplaceable Davis). But it also needs “Papa G” to provide back-up-center services so that Collins can continue to hone his skills on the perimeter.

That’s what we’ll be watching this weekend and next Tuesday. What about you, Rip City?