LAS VEGAS — As advertised.

There’s only so much a rookie can do in his first Summer League game to establish any kind of value at the NBA level.

It’s not that hard to diminish it. It’s never an encouraging sign when a first-round draft pick looks overwhelmed, even if the rosters are populated by a wide swath of experienced pros working hard to keep their opportunities afloat.

But it’s a much better story when a recent draftee shows up in Las Vegas and plays pretty much exactly how he played to get drafted in the first place.

There are multiple ways to evaluate the performance of Toronto Raptors rookie Allen Graves in his first professional game.

The most obvious is his box score contributions, which were impressive on their own. Even if Summer League games are ultimately meaningless, the level of competition is high and the defensive intensity is tangible as players try to ace their collective job interviews.

So it’s not for nothing that the versatile six-foot-eight forward Graves popped off for 22 points, 13 rebounds (five on the offensive end), three steals and two blocks while converting three of eight three-point attempts in what ended up being an 83-80 overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.

But there was music between those high notes that brought the whole piece together.

The simplest way to explain Graves' showing — with all the 'it’s just one game' caveats in place — is that the 19-year-old from Santa Clara has a real knack for playing basketball. He’s got great timing, good hands and the kind of vision that allows him to always be in motion, finding the next opportunity to get a hand........

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