Mr. Highlight in Vegas

This is the article that Marco Belinelli spent all last year looking forward to. Is there anyone else who looks as dominant as Belinelli in the summer league and as unfit for the NBA during the regular season? Belinelli’s lived up to his bidding as a summer league stud, scorching the Bobcats the other night for 30 points, picking his average up to 23 points per night for the Warriors, who are 3-0 in Vegas.

While Belinelli has impressed, he’s one of many. Here’s our take on the best and worst of the NBA Summer League so far…

THE BEST
Donte Greene, SF, Houston - He came within two points of setting the summer league record in his first appearance, raining 40 points on 11-for-20 shooting. He struggled in his second game (4-for-17), but at 6-8, Greene looks totally comfortable letting it fly from NBA range, and the extra floor spacing will help his game.

O.J. Mayo, SG, Memphis — The one player in Vegas that everyone would pay to watch. Mayo’s scoring 18.8 points a game and has already turned in three of the dopest highlights in the league: the 70-foot shot against the Spurs, a insane up-and-under reverse layup against the Lakers, and crowning Hilton Armstrong with a vicious dunk against New Orleans. Not to mention the report we heard of O.J. hitting an upscale restaurant with his crew and buying 16 pounds of lobster and multiple Kobe steaks.

Thaddeus Young, SF, Philadelphia - There was a sighting of Mo Cheeks mumbling to himself in the stands of the Vegas league, watching Thad tally 18.3 points. “Go to work Thad,” murmured Cheeks. “Go to work.” If the Sixers somehow lose Andre Iguodala in free agency, they wouldn’t be too bad off with Thad starting at the three, but as it stands, he makes a killer second-unit frontcourt trio with Jason Smith and Marreese Speights.

Ramon Sessions, PG, Milwaukee - He’s leading the summer league with 6.5 assists per game. Actually, he might boast the most impressive numbers of anyone to date considering that he’s also added 16.5 points per outing. Milwaukee’s signing of Tyronn Lue yesterday may be a sign they’re ready to trade Mo Williams and hand Sessions the car keys.

Wilson Chandler, SG/SF, New York - Chandler’s rising confidence has the delusional Knicks fans in the Dime office guaranteeing that he’s going to be starting by the end of the season. He dropped 26 points in his first game, a shock to those of us who regular go to Knicks games and are used to seeing Wilson looking bored by himself in the locker room after another DNP-CD.

Danilo Gallinari’s “Shammy” - After the worst first half imaginable, Gallinari gained some confidence midway through the third quarter against the Cavs, mostly because of a two-handed tip-dunk. He walked the ball across half court and hit J.J. Hickson with the “Shammgod.” Who cares that Gallo barely got a shot off, as he got mugged by Tractor Traylor in the lane? Hickson caught it bad.

Tractor Traylor PF, Cleveland - Vegas is a dangerous place for Tractor to stage a comeback, for no other reason than the multitude of buffets on the strip. Even if he’s carrying an offensive lineman under his jersey, he’s still super quick on his feet.

THE WORST
Injuries — Eric Gordon strained his hamstring and was shut down after two games. Rodney Stuckey injured a toe and has missed action. In the Orlando league, Derrick Rose’s knee tendinitis got bad enough to where the Bulls held him out of games. Gallinari has a sore back, missed what would have been his second game with the Knicks, and might not play the rest of the way in Vegas. Renaldo Balkman suffered a bad-looking ankle injury that could put him on the shelf for a while. The youngsters need work, but you always worry they could get hurt playing “meaningless” games.

Online video feeds — Somewhere between “crappy” and “OK.” The hovering scoreboard overhead is like something Rod Serling would have come up with, and if you’re on the West Coast, what you’re watching online is about 15 minutes behind what’s actually happening real-time. Which doesn’t make it much of a “live-stream,” does it?

Mike Taylor (PG, Clippers) & Julian Wright (SF, Hornets) — Both hold the distinction of having 10-plus turnover performances. Wright handed the ball to the Grizzlies 11 times in N.O.’s opening loss, and Taylor coughed it up 10 times last night in a game the Clippers somehow won.

Amateur stuff — C.J. Watson playing in long sleeves. Dee Brown wearing what looks like Shaq’s shorts. Nic Batum rocking #88. Who does that?

Blatant nepotism and favors — Maybe Joel Bosh (Chris Bosh’s brother), Romeo Travis (LeBron’s best friend), Dru Joyce (LeBron’s other best friend), Marcus Malone (Karl Malone’s cousin), Dontaye Draper (Melo’s boy) and Dan Grunfeld (Knicks’ legend Ernie Grunfeld’s son) really do belong on the court with NBA players, but so far they haven’t proven anything beyond the fact that they’re close to people with clout.

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2. O.J. Mayo A No-Show At His 21st Birthday Party
3. The Best Post-Move In the League Today