The NBA Summer League has come to an end for the Miami Heat, and while they were unable to defend their Summer League title, they did finish on a positive note with a gritty 93-92 win over Milwaukee.
The Summer League is never a definitive sign of a player's NBA future, as those who struggle still have great careers, and those who light it up are often never heard from again. But it does tend to help showcase what players have a real shot at making the roster and what players need to renew their lease in Sioux Falls.
It's with that in mind that these are the winners and losers from the NBA Summer League for the Heat.
Winner - Kel'el Ware
We are going to start off with the player who garnered the most headlines this summer. As of last Sunday, Kel'el Ware would have easily been on the "Losers" list after Erik Spoelstra called him out for his "professionalism."
But Ware responded with two solid back-to-back games to showcase he's not going to sulk if he gets called out, and he even got to showcase his ability to play the 4 if that's something Miami opts to do down the road.
Loser - Kasparas Jakučionis
The first-round pick for Miami in this year's draft just never looked comfortable on the court. Kasparas Jakučionis was a turnover machine all summer, and outside of a couple of spurts, his shooting wasn't good enough to overcome his turnovers.
Perhaps the biggest concern for Jakučionis is that he wasn't really creating separation when he drove to the rim.
As mentioned in the open, Summer League could be a wake-up call, and once he gets to work with Tyler Herro, it might open up space for him.
Winner - Vladislav Goldin
The UDFA who led FAU to the Final Four, Vladislav Goldin, is the type of player who would have thrived in the 90s, but is an awkward fit for the modern game.
But he was a capable rim protector throughout, who is also capable of having a bit of a scoring touch.
He's on a two-way contract, but don't be shocked if he winds up on the main roster by the end of the season.
Loser - Kira Lewis Jr.
The one-time lottery pick for New Orleans is still just 24 years old, but seems destined for a life in the G-League.
Kira Lewis Jr. got plenty of minutes, and while he didn't play "bad" and had a solid showing in the California Classic against Golden State, he didn't showcase much that would indicate he is ready to leave G-League purgatory.
In the finale against Milwaukee, he was 4/10 shooting for 10 points, but also had just two assists while committing five fouls.
Winner - Erik Stevenson
A G-League lifer, Erik Stevenson showcased solid range from three throughout the summer, and if squinted enough, you could see him making it as a spot-up shooter on the main roster.
Stevenson might be one of those players we also never hear from again, but he did enough this summer to keep his name in mind moving forward.
Loser - Keshad Johnson
After getting 16 games with the main club last season and two games during the playoffs, Keshad Johnson didn't exactly take a massive step forward to make his case to stay with the big club.
He frequently looked like he was just "a guy" out on the court. He had five turnovers against Golden State and eight fouls against Atlanta while being -15 on the court, and had five fouls to go with just five points against Cleveland.
We'll see what Miami plans for roster construction, but Johnson didn't make a great case to stay with Miami.
Winner - Pelle Larsson
Probably the biggest winner for Miami this summer was Pelle Larsson. He looked like what you want a second-year player vying for an increased role to look like.
He frequently looked like Miami's best scoring threat, and he wasn't afraid to drive to the rim and draw contact as needed to get to the free throw line.
We'll see if Larsson's big summer translates to more minutes once the season begins.