Cameron Boozer scores a team-high 24 points as he leads the Grizzlies past the Hawks and into the Vegas Semifinals.
LAS VEGAS — It’s hardly definitive, but as a group, the players cited most often as Summer Standouts start to form an MVP ladder and a pretty strong field of All-Summer League players.
With the seven games played Thursday in the books, the fellow who got lauded here more than his competition was Chicago’s Caleb Wilson. Wilson played in each of the Bulls’ first four games and showed enough to earn “Standout” status after each appearance.
Those participants who earned three mentions in the event’s first eight days: Cam Boozer, Memphis; Meleek Thomas, Cleveland and Philadelphia’s LaBaron Philon.
The Las Vegas behemoth will head toward its playoff finish this weekend, with four teams vying for the LVSL hardware while the other 26 settle for a fifth game against one of those Finals teams.
There’s less star power overall with some lottery picks tucked away for the summer. But there are just as many shots available and balls coming off the rim for someone to claim and shine.
Here are the Day 8 Standouts:
Brooks Barnhizer | Oklahoma City Thunder 
Barnhizer turned in his third double-double in four performances, with 21 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, a block and a steal in the Thunder’s 97-87 loss to Dallas. The Northwestern grad averaged 12.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 3.3 apg and 1.5 steals, but struggled with his shot (43.9% overall, 16.7% on threes).
Tristen Newton, Bruce Thornton | Houston Rockets 
Thornton & Newton sounds like a law firm but it is, in fact, the starting backcourt combination Houston used in its 100-83 victory over Brooklyn at the Cox Pavilion. Together, they scored 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting, with 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals.
For the record, Thornton, the first pick in the second round last month, scored 23 while Newton, who went No. 49 to Indiana in 2024, had 20.
Cam Boozer, Cedric Coward | Memphis Grizzlies 
Cedric Coward scores 23 points in the Grizzlies big win over the Atlanta Hawks.
The manner in which Memphis jumped on Atlanta – scoring the game’s first 21 points and pushing its early lead to 32-2 – generated the most chatter. But seeing two important Grizzlies still playing and playing was a statement of its own.
Coward’s All-Rookie season hadn’t carried over to Summer League, but he was much better in this one, scoring 23 points on 7-for-12 shooting and logging a game-best plus-27. Boozer, the No. 3 pick in last month’s Draft, was just as sharp, missing only three of his 13 shots to finish with 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Caleb Wilson | Chicago Bulls 
Like the Grizzlies duo, Wilson seemed a little pedigreed to keep grinding in summer games. That’s not how it’s typically done these days, when teams stop playing their lottery picks or accomplished second-year contributors. But Wilson wanted to keep going and he needed only three quarters to get 21 points and eight rebounds. The No. 4 pick showed a little of everything, including some frustration that led to an emphatic offensive foul. The Bulls did spare him the fourth quarter (they were already down by 29 points in their 105-82 loss to the Lakers).
Jahmir Young | Miami Heat 
With Miami’s thin roster getting only 14 points from its bench, Young picked a good afternoon to score 30 points. That was a step up from his 27 in Salt Lake prior to the LVSL. The undrafted product of UNC-Charlotte and Maryland, already 25, is fighting for a clear role in the Heat’s rotation. The 6-foot Young also grabbed 12 rebounds with three assists, two steals and one block, but the Heat fell to the Raptors 99-90.
Mark Sears | Denver Nuggets 
The 24-year-old point guard who saw action in just seven games last season with Milwaukee had himself a night Thursday. He hit eight of his 14 shots overall and nailed half of his eight 3-point attempts while putting up 26 points. Portland had no direct counter for Sears but they did have seven players who each scored between 11 and 16 points as the Nuggets lost to the Trail Blazers 108-101.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
Trail Blazers 108, 
Warriors 87, 
Knicks 77: 
Hawks 64: 
Raptors 99,