All eyes are on the summer league to see how the new draft class in the NBA is expected to play. For those who did not follow the NCAA season and for prospects who did not go to college in the US, the Summer League is the first opportunity to see these young new additions to the league and some potential talent who may earn a contract in the NBA without even getting drafted.
Among the top talent in the Summer League are two top-five picks in the draft, Dylan Harper (No. 2 pick, San Antonio Spurs) and VJ Edgecombe (No. 3 pick, Philadelphia 76ers), who have so far been very impressive in their performances. But they had a rather surprising take on their all-time starting fives in the league.
Dylan Harper’s All-Time starting five:
Point Guard: LeBron James
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard
Power Forward: Tim Duncan
Center: Shaquille O’Neal
VJ Edgecombe’s All-Time starting five:
Point Guard: Stephen Curry
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
Small Forward: LeBron James
Power Forward: Kevin Durant
C: Shaquille O’Neal
While Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Shaquille O’Neal were the common names on both their starting lineups, the key difference in their starting lineups became the talking points on social media. One key point that Harper’s starting lineup indicates is that LeBron James is seen as a versatile player who, despite being a forward by preference, can fit into all the roles on a team, including as a point guard.
On one hand, Dylan Harper picked Kawhi Leonard and Tim Duncan on his roster; the very recognition he gave to the San Antonio legends earned him a lot of respect in the Spurs fans’ eyes.
“Yeah, I don’t hate Dylan Harper anymore. Welcome back to the agenda.”
“Jordan with Kawhi is impractically impossible to enter the paint.”
“I have joined Harper FC.”
“Dylan Harper, I was not familiar with ur ball knowledge.”
“Dylan Harper knows ball.”
On the other hand, he picked them over players like Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. They are even missing players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain on both of these lists. This highlights a recency bias in their takes, which is acceptable since they are both 19 years old and probably did not even watch tape as far back as Bird and Magic, or well, anything before 1990.
Harper played only two games in the Summer League before the Spurs shut him down. He averaged 16 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 35.7% shooting from the field in those two outings.
VJ Edgecombe played two games in the Summer League as well, where he averaged 21.5 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game. Both these 19-year-olds have started their journeys in the NBA this season. Maybe over time, their coaches will show them the importance of the pre-90s eras in the NBA through their film sessions.
