4 Things to watch for during Trail Blazers 2023 NBA Summer League
By Rowan Kent
Watch to watch for during Trail Blazers summer league #4: The wildcards
Summer league is often a great place for die-hard fans of the sport to learn about new prospects they’ve never heard of before or to be reacquainted with old college stars who have fallen out of the limelight in recent years. This year’s Blazers roster is full of both types of players who should excite true Portland fans.
Michael Devoe played for the Ontario Clippers last year in the G League and should be an intriguing guard to consider, even though that’s a position of strength for the team. Another fascinating guard is Antoine Davis, who almost became the leading NCAA all-time scorer last season and can get hot in a hurry:
The prospects who few casual fans will have heard of, mostly due to them playing overseas for a variety of clubs, are some intriguing players with varied skill sets. Jaizec Lottie last played in Switzerland, where he averaged more than 20 points a game for his team. Duop Reath was a starter for the Qingdao Eagles in China, establishing himself as an interior presence. Christ Koumadje, at 7-foot-4, last played in Germany and helped his team to the playoffs.
For any of these players to make the roster for the Portland Trail Blazers would be a major shock, but that’s part of the fun of an underdog story at summer league.
Even if they never factor past summer league or the G League, all of the aforementioned players are great reasons for fans to be excited about the future of the Trail Blazers, given they’ll have new faces to learn to love and cheer on in games this season and beyond.