Pacers summer league takeaways for key players

LAS VEGAS – Did I wait to see if Jalen Slawson made an All-Summer League team to write this? Yes. Did Jalen Slawson make an All-Summer League team? No.

That it was even a consideration says so much about Slawson's play in Las Vegas, though, and he's already agreed to a two-way deal with the Pacers (story on that here, and more words coming on this website later this week).

Slawson averaged nearly 21 points per game and scored more than Taelon Peter and Braden Smith – two other two-way competitors – combined. He led Las Vegas Summer League in total blocks, snagged several rebounds, and tossed around a few assists.

Perhaps most importantly, he looked improved compared to the level he showed last season. "Slaw has really embraced the process," former Pacers assistant coach Johnny Carpenter told me before summer league. Carpenter described some of Slawson's enhanced leadership traits to me moments later, particularly as it pertained to his ability to explain concepts to young players on the summer league roster.

I saw the summer Pacers in person three times, then re-watched their games this week at home. Some summer takeaways for key players below.

Jalen Slawson

What is there left to say?

Slawson signed a two-way deal with the Pacers, and he earned it. His drives, even with a lax handle, were often deadly. He could overpower defenders or use quicker decision making to beat his man before he could react. When I talked to Slawson before summer league, one word that he used to describe some of his improvement was "cognitive."

His understanding of spacing was better in summer league, and he made dribble/shoot/passes choices in an instant. As an above average athlete, those are important areas of growth – especially as it pertains to playing with the Pacers and their seemingly never-ending random attacks.

His defense was solid, his blocks were rarely chased and more in the flow, and he occasionally directed traffic after being challenged to lead. From my seat on the baseline, he was often the team's most vocal player.

In game five, he did this:

A quick move to beat a defender, then reading the low many to make an on-target pass to the corner. For a guy who gets places with a ball largely due to size and athleticism, this one play showed his processing improvements quite well. Slawson was terrific in Vegas and deserves more time with the Pacers.

Braden Smith

Braden Smith attempted 34 shots and made nine of them. That is not a good thing and should not be tossed to the side.

That said, too much is being made of that specific shortcoming for Smith in Las Vegas. Aaron Nesmith shot 10/37 in his only summer league with the Pacers. Oshae Brissett went 8/26 in 2021. Aaron Holiday went 21/69 in 2019.

Nesmith and Holiday are still in the NBA. Brissett turned in six NBA seasons and is still a pro. Obviously, making shots is preferred to not. But Smith's inaccuracy is being pegged as this failure that should impact his contractual status, and I do not agree with that.

I also think Smith struggled in other ways more worthy of discussion. Some of those shortcomings were cleaned up by game five, but not all of them.

Take this shift in approach for example. Here are two drives from Smith after screens in the first three minutes of the Pacers first game:

No switch on either. Now, here are two drives from the first half of the Pacers final summer league outing:

Granted, there were different coverages from the Cavaliers and Pelicans. But Smith was clearly more focused on getting deeper into the paint as summer league progressed. He learned of his shortcomings and addressed them, putting real pressure on the rim.

That helped his assist numbers climb throughout the five games in Vegas, and his connection with big men was obvious during the scrimmages. For a Pacers team that is very dynamic in terms of strategy even within one game, Smith's ability to adjust quickly will be of note.

After the team's second game, for example, I was asking Slawson about Smith getting better from the first half to the second half in each of the first two outings. He nodded as I was asking the question and whispered "for sure" to himself. Even Smith's teammates felt this growth.

Still, plays like this stuck with me:

I don't get A) why we have to see Jaylon Tyson during his interview and B) what the point of that screen was if Smith was just going to drift right and get off the ball almost instantly. My read is that Smith had some instincts from playing for a much slower Purdue team that forced him to really think while playing early in summer league, and he improved in that department by the end.

Smith's defense came and went. He's admitted more than anyone that overcoming his size will be a must at the pro level. As a low man or team defender, he'll have to grow in the pros. On the ball, technique will be key.

Still, Smith exited Las Vegas with the fourth most assists per game (second-most in total) and showed improvements from game to game, plus within games. I don't think he played particularly well, but I do think the extent of his struggles is being oversold.

Yuki Kawamura

What a fun player.

It is unfortunately challenging to discuss Kawamura's play without keeping things within the guardrails created by the obvious. His passing is sensational. Everything else is basically a direct reflection of his size.

Basketball Reference lists Kawamura at 5-7. I say he's maybe that tall. And yet, he's carved out a two-year NBA career because he can get places with the ball and hit his teammates with flair that is actually effective and not just showy.

Kawamura finished eighth in assists per minute in Las Vegas. He's a sensational setup man. His best defensive moments came when he was applying pressure, including the somewhat famous play in which he forced an eight-second violation against the 76ers, much to the delight of several Pacers veterans.

And yet... he shot 34.4% from the field and (avert your eyes) 7.7% from long range. Kawamura had two total steals and wasn't much of a defensive playmaker.

Across his time with the Grizzlies and Bulls, Kawamura has shot just 34.1% on all field goals attempts. Here lies the obvious challenges. He is clearly gifted as a passer and floor general but is too small to impact the game in other ways.

This one possession sums up his summer league well – an attempted floater that was easily blocked, then a sick pass on the same play:

He is a very reflective player and great teammate. I will turn the sound off so you can see it, but you can spot the exact moment in this video that I asked Rienk Mast what it's like to play with Kawamura:

That smile was telling. Kawamura's chances of landing with the Pacers seems very low. But he would be an excellent Noblesville Boom player if they can swing it and would be a useful piece to make other G League players better in the organization, including Smith.

Taelon Peter

Peter had a chance to earn a two-way deal for the second summer league in a row. Last year, his passiveness stood out, as did his ability to make the right play when needed. This year, when growth had to be shown and passiveness wasn't acceptable, Peter didn't stand out at all.

Entering summer league, Peter said he needed to improve his playmaking and on-ball defense. He wanted to "be more comfortable with the ball in my hands." His on-ball defense was mostly solid in his five games, as it was last year. But the shot creation was not there.

Peter left Las Vegas with 11 turnovers and nine assists. He didn't show much in terms of dynamic play when the ball came his way, though he was a more willing shooter. With higher expectations, Peter felt more like a rookie than he did last summer.

This play, albeit just one, cannot get out of my head:

With most of a full side of the floor to himself, Peter faked a shot, then turned the ball over on his very first dribble. He made just eight two-point shots across the five games and rarely beat his man with craft.

Peter can shoot and can get above the rim. He has talent beyond his athleticism. But on a Pacers team that has plenty of guard depth and just had Braden Smith enter that mix, their bar for two-way talent among backcourt players rose. Peter didn't lift his level to match that need. He has been waived by the team (again, more to come on that).

Rienk Mast

Since this somehow just raced right by everyone after the draft, Mast and the Pacers have already reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal. Have no fears about him leaving (unless he gets a two-way deal elsewhere).

Mast was quite good in summer league and certainly exceeded my own expectations more than any other player. His defense was poor, undeniably, but he finished second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding. His connection with both Smith and Kawamura was impressive in two-player actions.

The Nebraska product beat himself up after mistakes, both in game and during postgame press conferences. I could hear him groan from the baseline after missing rebounds and his off-target shots. That level of care matters.

His jumper matters too, and it makes plays like this possible:

His defender plays up since Mast can score from there (he tied Peter for the most made threes per game on the roster), then Mast gets by him with craft. Fun player, and he idolized Rik Smits growing up.

Rapid fire on some others

-Keba Keita, who agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers after going undrafted, was productive. His size, mostly due to his muscular frame, is noticeable in person.

-Cam Hildreth made a ton of shots and finished as the team's fourth leading scorer. I thought he was good for the Boom last year and would be a nice piece for Noblesville to retain.

-Keion Brooks Jr didn't make shots but popped in other ways and, like Hildreth, makes good sense to me as someone to keep around.

-Two players who I felt really struggled: Alex Reese and Kowacie Reeves Jr. Reeves Jr reportedly agreed to an Exhibit 10 with the Pacers, so he is worth keeping an eye on this year.

Thank you for reading. Only one more story about basketball played by the Pacers yet to come here, plus closer looks at what they've done with the back of the roster coming. Sign up and it will be sent directly to you.