Archie Goodwin had impressive Summer League stint
Jul 24, 2013, 5:49 PM | Updated: 5:49 pm
The legend of Archie Goodwin only grew during his seven-game stint in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The second of the Phoenix Suns’ first-round picks, the former Kentucky guard averaged 13.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Sure, he tallied less than one assist per contest and turned the ball over nearly three times per game, but the rookie showed enough to impress many an observer.
Among them was SBNation.com’s Mike Prada, who ranked Goodwin as the seventh-best rookie to play in either the Orlando or Vegas leagues.
I love this guy. He’s the youngest player in Summer League, and up close, he looks the part, with a boyish face, clearly-underdeveloped shoulders and an expression that always makes it seem like he’s out of place. Meanwhile, he was the most fearless player at the tournament, throwing his body around against guys several years his senior and finishing more successfully than several top prospects. He showed a knack for slipping around defenders to get to the basket, whether to score …
There’s no question that Summer League’s open style amplifies Goodwin’s strengths while minimizing his shaky basketball IQ. That said, he’s still just 18 and demonstrated that he has some top-level talent that, if molded properly, will make him a steal.
And that’s just it with Goodwin, he’s just 18 and still has plenty to learn about the NBA game. However, he showed the supreme athleticism the Suns wanted him for, and given his solid production seems to be the type of player who will only get better from here.
