The NBA is trying something new this year with the Las Vegas Summer League Championship, and the tournament will begin on Wednesday with the 12 lowest seeds competing in six games throughout the day. The tournament will tip off at 6 p.m. ET with a game between the New Orleans Pelicans and Denver Nuggets.
Let's take a closer look at the first day of tournament action (seeds in parentheses).
New Orleans Pelicans (11) vs. Denver Nuggets (22), 6 p.m.
Players to watch:Austin Rivers has played extremely well for the Pelicans, averaging 17.3 points on 46.5 percent shooting. Rivers really struggled as a rookie last season, so his strong performance this summer has to be encouraging for New Orleans. Nuggets second-year guard Evan Fournier has been solid, averaging 14.0 points. Luke Harangody has also played well for Denver, averaging 12.3 points on 59.1 percent shooting in only 16.7 minutes per game.
Washington Wizards (12) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (21), 6:30 p.m.
Players to watch: No. 3 overall pick Otto Porter has been pretty dreadful for Washington, averaging 6.3 points on 30.0 percent shooting. Porter has been picked up by Jan Vesely, who's leading the team with 11.3 points per game on 64.0 percent from the field. For the Grizzlies, second-year guard Tony Wroten is averaging 13.7 points, but he's shooting just 22.5 percent. Jack Cooley is also averaging 13.7 points, and he's also pulling down 8.7 rebounds per game.
Minnesota Timberwolves (13) vs. Sacramento Kings (20), 8 p.m.
Players to watch: Timberwolves first-round pick Shabazz Muhammad has struggled a bit this summer, averaging just 7.3 points on 34.6 percent from the field. Robbie Hummel has played well, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Kings first-round pick Ben McLemore had a woeful Summer League debut, but he has rebounded well and leads the team in scoring with 17.0 points per game. Second-round pick Ray McCallum is averaging 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds.
Atlanta Hawks (14) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (19), 8:30 p.m.
Players to watch:John Jenkins and Mike Scott have done the brunt of the work for the Hawks, with Jenkins leading the team in scoring with 19.3 points per game and Scott not far behind at 16.3 points per game. First-round picks Dennis Schroeder and Lucas Nogueira have also both contributed nicely. Blazers first-round pick C.J. McCollum is averaging a team-high 21.3 points, although he's shooting just 37.7 percent from the field. Second-year big man Meyers Leonard is averaging 11.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Thomas Robinson is averaging 8.3 points and 12.0 boards.
New York Knicks (15) vs. Miami Heat (18), 10 p.m.
Players to watch: Knicks first-round pick Tim Hardaway Jr. played pretty well before suffering a sprained wrist in the second game of the summer. Hardaway missed the third game and may not play in the tournament. Terrence Jennings is averaging 10.7 points on 60.0 percent shooting. For the Heat, Jarvis Varnado and James Ennis have led the way in Vegas after both players also participated in the Orlando Summer League.
Dallas Mavericks (16) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (17), 10:30 p.m.
Players to watch:Josh Akognon has been very good for the Mavs, averaging 19.3 points on 45.2 percent shooting overall and 37.5 percent from three-point range. Jae Crowder is averaging 15.3 points on 48.6 percent shooting, while Ricky Ledo is averaging 8.0 points. Clippers first-round pick Reggie Bullock is averaging 16.0 points on 39.5 percent from the field. Samardo Samuels is averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 60.0 percent.
How to watch Wednesday's games
Pelicans-Nuggets, Timberwolves-Kings and Knicks-Heat will be broadcast live on NBA TV. Wizards-Grizzlies and Hawks-Blazers will air overnight. All games are available live online with the purchase of NBA.com's Summer League Live subscription, which is now just $4.99.
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