NBA Summer League starts on August 3rd and fans of the Detroit Pistons couldn’t be more excited to see Cade Cunningham, Luka Garza, Isaiah Livers and the rest of the Pistons’ young players show what they can do.
The Pistons kick off on August 8th and will be one of the focal points of the event, as they not only have the number one pick and potential superstar, but a cast of talented young players that should give them one of the best teams in Las Vegas.
One of the most interesting subplots for the Detroit Pistons will be whether second-round pick Luka Garza can make an impression and possibly win a roster spot.
Garza was chosen 52nd, which makes him a long shot, but he was also the consensus NCAA player of the year and is ready to show it will translate to the next level.
Summer League is a time of hope, but it’s often misplaced, which leads to what I like to call the Summer League Legend.
Detroit Pistons: Luka Garza and the myth of Summer League
Every single season there are a few players who blow up in Summer League, make the fans believe they’ve found the next big thing, and then promptly disappear.
Pistons’ fans are all too familiar with this narrative, as we did it every season in a desperate attempt to find some reason to care about a mediocre roster.
Guys like Jordan Bone, Henry Ellenson, Michael Gbinije, Darren Hilliard, Kim English and Peyton Siva all became Summer League legends after having some big games in Vegas, which led to a lot of misplaced hope and arguments on social media.
I think there are still Pistons’ fans who think Peyton Siva should be the backup point guard.
Most of these guys had their big Summer Leagues and then promptly disappeared. While I don’t know what will happen with Luka Garza, and hope he turns into a quality player, I have my suspicions that he could be the next on this list.