Rookie point guard Shabazz Napier leads the Miami Heat summer league team in Las Vegas. (GETTY IMAGES)

LAS VEGAS — You don’t have to be a basketball junkie to love the NBA Summer League, especially if the venue is Las Vegas, Nevada. For the general admission price of $25 you get to watch a slew of games at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, and if you’re paying attention you could bump into some celebrities or NBA executives. That’s like watching four live shows for the same price you would pay for a dinner buffet at Mandalay Bay.

Each year I make a pilgrimage to Sin City to observe and absorb what is fast becoming one of the best shows on the Vegas Strip. This year should real exciting with most of the heralded 2014 NBA draft class — headed by No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and No. 2 pick Jabari Parker — playing for their new teams.

The New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks will tip off the festivities on July 11 at 1 p.m. PT in the first of 67 games to be contested over the course of the 11-day event. Here are some of the top games to watch:

KNICKS VS. MAVERICKS, 1 p.m. PST, July 11: Derek Fisher will make his NBA coaching debut when New York takes on Dallas at Cox Pavilion. Fisher wasn’t Phil Jackson’s first choice as head coach (he courted Steve Kerr who went  decided to take the coaching gig at Golden State), but he was always on Jackson’s short list of coaches, having played for five championship teams for Jackson with the Lakers. Fisher is also very familiar with the triangle offense, something near and dear to Phil’s heart.

WARRIORS VS. HORNETS, 5:30 p.m. PST, July 11: Speaking of debuts, Kerr takes over the reigns in Golden State and will try to fill in the massive shoes of Mark Jackson, who successfully guided the Warriors to spectacular playoff runs the last two years. The Warriors are the defending Vegas Summer League champions. Charlotte debuts its new/old team name — the Hornets. Second-year forward Cody Zeller is expected to lead the Hornets, and this will be an important summer for Zeller because he has to show the Hornets that he can hold down that starting power forward spot next to franchise center Al Jefferson.

LAKERS VS. RAPTORS, 3 p.m. PST, July 11: Julius Randle, the seventh overall selection in the draft, will not participate in the summer league because he hasn’t signed yet. Randle says he was disappointed he went seventh in the draft, so he’ll have a chip on his broad shoulders to try to prove wrong those teams that passed on him. The Lakers may be auditioning for coaches to run the show this summer because as of now they still don’t have a skipper. Someone better remind GM Mitch Kupchak and president Jim Buss that the league requires every team to have a coach on the sidelines.

Former Kansas star Andrew Wiggins will make his Cavaliers debut at the Las Vegas Summer League. (GETTY IMAGES)

CAVALIERS VS. BUCKS, 5 p.m. PST, July 11: The marquee game of the first day is Cleveland and Milwaukee. This game features the top two picks in the 2014 draft in Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker. Wiggins and Parker have faced each other in AAU circuits and high school all-star games, but this is the first time they’ll be dueling as professionals. Most experts are already predicting the 2014-15 rookie of the year race will come down to Wiggins or Parker. Also expected to play is last year’s top pick Anthony Bennett. The Cavaliers forward struggled mightily during his rookie season but should be better this season. He’ll be energized by playing alongside Wiggins, his fellow Canadian. Both teams also have new coaches this season. The Cavaliers are now led by former Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt, while the Bucks gave Larry Drew the boot to make room for former Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd.

HEAT VS. ROCKETS, 7 p.m. PST, July 12: After a shaky opening game in the Orlando Summer League, Miami rookie point guard Shabazz Napier has settled down and  is showing the skills that made him a two-time NCAA champion at UConn. Napier has shown to be turnover prone, but that’s to be expected since he’s learning on the fly on how to run an NBA offense.

BULLS VS. CLIPPERS, 5:30 p.m. PST, July 12: Chicago head coach Tom Thibodeau will likely be in the stands watching first-round pick Doug McDermott. Most scouts were split on McDermott. Some don’t think he can be an NBA starter, while some believe he could be a star. His performance in this year’s Vegas Summer League will provide some answers.

JAZZ VS. SIXERS, 7:30 p.m., July 12: The marquee game on Saturday, July 12, is the matchup between the Sixers and Jazz at Thomas & Mack Center. Sixers forward Nerlens Noel looked impressive in the Orlando Summer League, but all eyes will be on Utah prized rookie Dante Exum. Outside of a few YouTube clips and highlights from the 19-and-under tournament, very few have seen Exum play. Some of the mystery behind the Australian phenom will finally be uncovered. The primetime game that will be televised on NBA TV.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Dante Exum and Andrew Wiggins are expected to go in the top five in the 2014 NBA draft. (GETTY IMAGES)

Dante Exum may be from Melbourne, Australia, but he is well versed in the history of American basketball.

Exum’s dad, Cecil, was on the University of North Carolina basketball team coached by Dean Smith. On that same Tar Heel team was a young phenom named Michael Jordan.

Exum would love nothing more than to become the Michael Jordan of Australian basketball. Much like Manu Ginobili is the Michael Jordan Argentina and Tony Parker is the Michael Jordan of France.

There was a ton of buzz surrounding Exum when he participated in the NBA draft combine in Chicago. The buzz turned into shock and awe for those scouts and general managers in attention, as the 6-foor-6, 196-pound Exum wowed everyone with his quickness and athleticism. But the best part of his stay in Chicago was the interview process. NBA execs came away impressed with the 18-year-old on how he handled himself during the one-on-one talks, exceeding everyone’s expectations.

“He’s been a top-five pick in this year’s draft since the Nike Hoop Summit,” ESPN’s Chad Ford said of Exum, who interviewed with the Lakers, Magic, Kings and Bucks. He could go as high as No. 4 in the 2014 NBA draft.

“Yes, we haven’t seen him like we’ve seen other players, but it’s not like these are all manufactured,” Ford said.

One man who has seen him play a lot is ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla.

“At Prague, at the [under 19 world championships], he put on a show. He was bottled up by Marcus Smart but this was an undermanned Australian team,” Fraschilla said. “Dante Exum has everything you want potentially. You’re talking about a young player who is athletic and skilled, and he has the it factor.”

Tom Penn, former assistant general manager with the Portland Trail Blazers, calls Exum an “international man of mystery.”

“Think Michael Carter-Williams, think Shaun Livingston in terms of body type,” Penn said. “He’s real thin and rangy. He’s the prototypical guard of the future. He’s got star potential. He’s a great kid with good pedigree. He’s an impressive kid, but the key word is kid.”

It has been a while since experts got really excited about a draft. It may not be Hall-of-Fame good like 1984 or dynamic the class of 1996, but this year’s draft is loaded with talent. OneManFastBreak.net rates the 10 best prospects in this year’s draft:

1-Andrew Wiggins
6-7, guard-forward, Kansas
Scouting report: A year ago the son of former NBA player Mitchell Wiggins was the consensus choice as the top player coming out of high school. But his one season in Kansas allowed scouts to pick apart his game. In terms of athletic ability, Wiggins checks every box. He has ridiculous hops and can change ends as quick as Usain Bolt. The problem with Wiggins is he tends to disappear during games. Sometimes you have to light a fire under him to get him going. NBA comparison: Vince Carter

2-Joel Embiid
7-0, center, Kansas
Scouting report: There is no question that if Embiid is injury-free he would be No. 1 on this list. One a good day he looks like Tim Duncan. On a bad day he looks like Michael Olowokandi. After suffering a stress fracture on his foot a week before the draft, another comparison has emerged: Greg Oden. Embiid, who had back issues in his freshman season at Kansas, is expected to miss six months. And there is no guarantee that he’ll play this season after this latest setback. Despite all the red flags, Embiid is too good of a talent to pass up. He only started playing basketball four years ago so he’s extremely raw. He was a volleyball player until he made the switch to hoops. It will be interesting to see which teams will roll the dice on the big man from Cameroon. NBA comparison: Greg Oden

3-Jabari Parker
6-8, forward, Duke
Scouting report: Before the NCAA tournament, Parker was almost a lock for No. 1 or 2 in the draft. But something happened during the Big Dance that turned off a few scouts. Parker mulled for weeks if he should return to Duke, ultimately deciding that he’s ready to make the jump. Parker is the most NBA-ready player in the draft and he could start for half of the teams right now. NBA comparison: Luol Deng

4-Julius Randle
6-9, forward, Kentucky
Scouting report: Randle may be the most NBA-ready player on this list. He was a double-double machine (15 points and 10 rebounds) in his lone season for John Calipari and powered Kentucky to the NCAA championship game. He is a classic back-to-the-basket forward with enough quickness to blow by a defender. Randle doesn’t shy away from contact and is terrific rebounder. There is some concern about Randle’s right foot, which he broke during his senior year in high school. NBA comparison: Zach Randolph

5-Dante Exum
6-6, guard, Australia
Scouting report: Exum is represented by Rob Pelinka, Kobe Bryant’s agent. Pelinka tried to keep him under wraps since last year but a superb showing at the combine in Chicago has let the cat out of the bag. Exum could very well become the best player to come out of this draft class. He is a big guard with a great feel for the game. He won’t turn 19 until July so he is a blank canvass. You can picture him as an All-Star in a few years. NBA comparison: Steve Smith

6-Marcus Smart
6-3, guard, Oklahoma State
Scouting report: Smart returned to Stillwater, Okla., for his sophomore season to work on his game. But instead of getting praised for coming back to school, Smart was put under a microscope. His game was dissected inch by inch, and every little outburst was magnified. Smart’s passion is his greatest strength and his greatest weakness. “I would rather calm a guy like this down than check for his pulse rate, which you have to do with a lot of guys,” said Fraschilla, who raves about Smart’s IQ. “He has the best IQ of anybody in this draft. He has an innate feel for the game.” NBA comparison: Baron Davis

7-Aaron Gordon
6-8, forward, Arizona
Scouting report: If were strictly judging this draft based on pure athletic ability, then Gordon may be the second-best player behind Wiggins. At 220 pounds with a 7 foot wingspan, Gordon has the size and strength to be a lock-down defender. His best offensive move is the dunk, so teams will have to work on his outside shot to keep teams from sagging back on him. He’s a fabulous player in the open court and doesn’t need the ball all the time to be effective. NBA comparison: Blake Griffin

8-Noah Vonleh
6-9, forward, Indiana
Scouting report: Vonleh probably would have been better served if he stayed another year in Bloomington to work with Tom Crean. What he could be is a solid power forward who can rebound and defend his position. At 247 pounds, he is extremely strong at the base. His 7-4 wingspan and extremely large hands make him a tough guy to score on, and he could become one of top defenders for years to come. He has more of a set shot than a jump shot so his offense will need some tweaking. NBA comparison: Kawhi Leonard

9-Elfrid Payton
6-4, guard, Louisiana-Lafayette
Scouting report: Payton gained some new followers when Blazers All-Star guard Damian Lillard tweeted this about him: “Don’t sleep on Elfrid Payton… I watched couple of his games. He can hoop.” Payton comes from a mid-major school, so his games wasn’t on TV much if at all. But when you look at his highlights on YouTube you see a feisty defender with long arms and very good quickness. His jump shot needs work, so he’ll have to work on that. NBA comparison: Rajon Rondo

10-Zach LaVine
6-5, guard, UCLA
Scouting report: Some scouts thought LaVine was crazy for entering the draft after one so-so season at UCLA. But after his pre-draft workout with the Lakers in which he cleared the vertical bar with a jaw-dropping 46-inches, the only crazy about LaVine is his hops. He performed well at the combine, showing his range as a shooter and ball-handling skills. LaVine could be the sleeper in this year’s, someone teams will regret not taking with the first 10 picks. NBA comparison: Jamal Crawford

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Eric Bledsoe brought athleticism and energy to the Phoenix Suns. (GETTY IMAGES)

The Los Angeles Lakers are suffering through one of their worst seasons in franchise history with their rash of injuries for the second straight season. The Lakers have been limited to 17 games between Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash combined, not to mention Pau Gasol, Xavier Henry, Jordan Farmar (has been hurt three times), and Steve Blake have all missed significant games due to injury.

They gave Bryant a heavily criticized $48.5 million extension, preventing them from bringing in two maximum salary free agents.

So, where do they go from here? I may have some answers.

The Lakers will get a top 5 draft pick most likely.

There are a lot of talented players available in this draft that they could select and bring in. Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Dante Exum are all projected as the top-five players in this draft.

Parker has said he may stay at Duke. The incentive is there since the Blue Devils got bounced early in the NCAA tournament and they have a great player in high school All-American Jahil Okafor enrolling this fall.

If you’re following the NCAA tournament, try taking advantage of some contests to test your knowledge about college basketball — whether you’re watching March Madness in the U.S. or from Canada.

Wiggins, one of the best prospects to come out of Canada, is likely to be the No. 1 overall pick. The Lakers will need to secure more ping pong balls from new commissioner Adam Silver to make sure they get the first pick.

Embiid is a raw project who reminds me of Michael Olowokandi, and his back injury may give teams caution when taking him too high.

They wouldn’t need a player like Exum if Bledsoe is acquired, unless they want to bring Exum as a possible replacement for Bryant in a few seasons. He has drawn comparisons to Michael Carter-Williams, except he has a better jump shot. Exum says he wants to play with Bryant (he and Kobe share the same agent in Rob Pelinka).

Exum could replace Bryant at shooting guard when he retires. When he played at the 2013 Nike Hoop Summit with Germany’s Dennis Schroder (rookie with the Atlanta Hawks) he played off the ball and was able to get to the rim off the dribble. He wow’ed NBA scouts, reinforcing that he was an impressive player to keep their eye on.

Anthony Bennett’s lackluster season may give teams a second thought in taking Randle. Randle is another tweener forward may cost a general manager his job if he doesn’t pan out.

Sign Eric Bledsoe to the poison pill contract that has been rumored.

Earlier this year, ESPN reporter Chris Broussard said the Lakers may be interested in overpaying Bledsoe (a restricted free agent) so that the Suns don’t want to match it and head in another direction. They have two point guards playing in the backcourt together and don’t seem like they will be able to keep both, the Suns have multiple selections in the upcoming NBA draft. If the Lakers offer Bledsoe $14-15 million per season that may be too much for Phoenix to match.

Bledsoe has had a breakout season with the Phoenix Suns (17.2 points per game, 5.7 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds per game) after being traded from the Los Angeles Clippers. Bledsoe is just 24 years old and has the dynamic personality and talent to replace Kobe once he retires in a few seasons. Bledsoe would be able to carry the torch for the Lakers as their next superstar to build a team around.

Sign Spencer Hawes to a 3-4 year deal worth $8-9 million per season.

Hawes is an underrated center who has always reminded me of Brad Miller, I like him a lot. He’ll be a seven year veteran but he’ll be just 26 when next season starts. He can score (13-14 points), rebound (8-9 rebounds), pass (3-4 assists) and he can shoot the 3-pointer (40% this season and 35% for his career). He isn’t a great defender but he’s a solid big man who could help replace Pau Gasol if he walks as a free agent, like he’s expected to. Hawes would give them a versatile big man who can step out and hit the outside shot, poor Mike D’Antoni would love to have him this season but D’Antoni will be gone by the time Hawes shows up in Los Angeles.

Sign Drew Gooden.

Gooden has only played in 11 games this season for the Washington Wizards but he’s still just 32 years old. Bring him in the veteran minimum of 1.8 million and he’s capable of putting up 10ppg and seven rebounds. He’s not going to play much defense but he can give the Lakers a serviceable PF, provided he stays healthy. If he can’t stay healthy, Kelly gets more on the job training as the stretch four (4?).

Use the stretch provision on Steve Nash.

If Nash doesn’t retire — and he has said he’s sticking around to collect the paycheck — the Lakers could use the stretch provision on him and his contract counts just $3 million towards the salary cap (instead of $9 million). Nash has shown he’s unable to stay healthy and they have a need to save as much money as possible with a lot of free agents this summer. Nash makes too much to keep as a backup to Bledsoe and they have to fill out a roster.

Re-sign some of the young players who have shown some promise this season.

Nick Young is most assuredly gone since he has had a good season (16.8 points and instant offense off the bench) and has a player option for $1.2 million. I’d be shocked if Young exercises that after having a solid enough season where he should be able to command $3-5 million as a sixth man off the bench for a good team.

Re-sign Xavier Henry. Henry showed some flashes this season but has played in just 40 games due to injury. They should be able to bring back Henry on a two-year deal worth $3 million, he made $884,000 this season. And the Lakers gave him a chance to save and revive his career.

Re-sign Wesley Johnson. Johnson was one of the few players who gave 100% effort on the defensive side of the ball. When he signed him, Mitch Kupchak said he could turn into a Michael Cooper-type defensive player, while that is a stretch Johnson has been a consistent defender all season. Sign him to a two-year deal worth $3 million also.

Re-sign restricted free agents Kent Bazemore and Ryan Kelly. Bazemore showed he could play after the trade from Golden State, averaging 13.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He can be re-signed relatively cheaply, say $1-1.2 million or so, a slight raise from this seasons $788,872 salary. Have him come off the bench as Young’s scoring replacement.

Kelly has averaged just under 10 points since January 1st and has shown the capability of being a shooter off the bench. He has also shown he is a better rebounder than expected coming out of Duke. He had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 134-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on March 7. He had a career-high 26 points in a loss against the Philadelphia 76ers in February.

Fire Mike D’Antoni and hire Byron Scott.

First, let’s get this out of the way. Is this season D’Antoni’s fault? No.

They have been snake-bitten by injuries like I mentioned earlier. But life isn’t always fair as any coach knows and Byron Scott is just biding his time, waiting for the job in the Time Warner Cable SportsNet studio. Any incoming coach has to signed off by the Mamba. Scott returned to Los Angeles in 1996-97 (after playing for the Pacers and Grizzlies) and mentored Bryant when he was a rookie. They got along well and Bryant has a lot of respect for Scott.

He would most likely bring Michael Cooper as an assistant and he’d help give the Lakers some defensive focus, something they desperately need.

Here’s the Lakers’ potential lineup next season:

PG-Bledsoe
SG-Kobe
SF-Henry/Johnson
PF-Gooden
C-Hawes

Bench

Exum, Henry/Johnson, Kelly, Kendall Marshall, Robert Sacre, Bazemore, second round pick.

Is this a playoff team? Probably not. But, it’s a team that could be in the mix and competitive, which is all you can ask from a team that has to manage the salary cap. It also leaves them some flexibility in a few seasons when Kevin Love hits the free-agent market and Kobe retires.

Darren Jacks is a regular contributor to OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @djroxalot.