ORLANDO -- For Frank Kaminsky, this was more about attitude than attire.
So even as the Charlotte Hornets rookie center wore his commemorative Wisconsin T-shirt Saturday from the Badgers' run to the NCAA Final Four, Kaminsky quickly explained how many of his college accomplishments carry very little value amid his NBA transition.
"I'm coming off a great season in college, and I feel like I'm starting over with no respect," said Kaminsky, last season's NCAA consensus player of the year. "So I've got to earn my respect."
Kaminsky took the first public steps toward raising both his game and trash-talking ability to NBA standards Saturday to highlight a string of impressive debuts for lottery picks on the opening day of the Orlando Pro Summer League at Amway Arena.
The ninth overall pick in last week's draft, Kaminsky overcame a sluggish start in the initial minutes to finish with 19 points, 12 rebounds and two steals and also shot 4-of-8 from 3-point range in a 76-74 loss to Oklahoma City.
Kaminsky's comfort and confidence grew so much over the course of the game that by the fourth quarter, he didn't hesitate to let anyone know it on the court. It was seen as another incremental sign of progress by the Hornets, who made Kaminsky one of the most controversial selections of the draft when they turned down a trade offer from Boston that included several first-round picks to move to the No. 9 spot on the board.
Charlotte also took the 7-footer instead of addressing what appeared a more pressing need for a shooter after the team finished at or near the bottom of the league in scoring and made 3-pointers.
Simply put: It was risky going with Kaminsky. And that seemed ever more the case when he struggled through his first summer camp practice so badly that assistant coach Patrick Ewing ridiculed the rookie for lacking energy to keep up with the team's other draft picks and young free agent roster hopefuls.
But Ewing has seen strides over the past several days. The Hall of Fame center is so committed to Kaminsky's initial development that he decided to delay knee surgery in order to fulfill his duties through next week as the Hornets summer league head coach. Ewing, who tore a ligament in his knee during a recent workout, is coaching in a bulky knee brace and uses crutches to get around the arena.
"I just want him to be a good player, a great player," Ewing said of Kaminsky. "I like the fact that from the first day of practice to right now is like night and day. At first, he was tentative. He was like a deer in the headlights. But as the week went on, you could start to see he started to get his confidence and is getting his swag back. He was out there (Saturday) even trash-talking. I like that."
There was more to like about the promising performances of other lottery picks who were getting their first tastes of NBA action in Orlando. All five who played Saturday scored in double figures. Magic swingman Mario Hezonja, picked fifth, scored 12 points and made the game-winning shot in overtime; Detroit Pistons forward and No. 8 pick Stanley Johnson had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench; Miami Heat forward and No. 10 pick Justise Winslow added 15 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers and No. 11 pick Myles Turner finished with 20 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
Thunder point guard Cameron Payne, the No. 14 and final pick of the lottery, is recovering from a broken bone in his hand and won't play in the seven-day summer league.
The six high-profile rookies vary in experience, from Kaminsky's four seasons in college to the three 19-year-olds in Johnson, Winslow and Turner who each played one NCAA season before turning pro. But they all shared the common goal of using the week in Orlando to earn some initial respect as they prepare for the start of full NBA training camps in October.
"I'm not going to let anybody punk me on the court just because I'm 19 years old," said Johnson, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year last season at Arizona. "You're not just going to disrespect me. I have no tolerance for that type of stuff."
At 6-foot-7 and a muscular 245 pounds, Johnson possesses a mature NBA body and expects to add defensive toughness to a Pistons frontcourt that must regroup after losing forward Greg Monroe in free agency. Johnson said Saturday he wasn't disappointed about coming off the bench in summer league, because it's probably a way of preparing him for his role as a primary reserve when the regular season begins.
"I'll just come off the bench and be a sparkplug," Johnson said. "Some people can't come off the bench. So to show I can do that is good for me. I'm the type of guy who has a chip on my shoulder anyway."
Considering the recent movement in Indiana, the Pacers could be grooming Turner for a starting role. The 6-foot-11, shot-blocking center out of Texas showed flashes Saturday of defensive dominance and a rapidly developing offensive game that stretches to the 3-point line.
"He looked like a grown man out there," Pacers summer league coach Dan Burke said.
Turner could be asked to step into a void created by Indiana after the team traded center Roy Hibbert on Saturday night to the Lakers and the expected free-agency departure of power forward David West. Those personnel moves place Turner on the developmental fast track.
"I'm ready for it, man," Turner said of quickly adjusting to the physical demands of the NBA. "I've been getting hit in practice all week. College is definitely a step down from this, but I've been taking contact for a while. Once you're out there competing, I'm fine. They just ask me to go out there and play my role -- rebound, block shots, score from different spots. Be huge for this team."
Few may make the transition more seamlessly than Winslow, who increased his production across the board from the regular season as Duke marched through the NCAA Tournament to a championship.
Winslow's strength, balance, versatility and ability to get to the free-throw line are areas of his game he intends to build on during two stretches of summer league play. After spending a week in Orlando, the Heat will then move on directly to compete in the 10-day NBA tournament in Las Vegas.
"I didn't have jitters, nah," Winslow said when asked if he's dealing with any anxiety or added pressure these days. "I've been playing basketball for a long time. I'm sure maybe the first real [regular-season] game, I might get nervous. But for me, everything felt natural. I wasn't nervous. I woke up excited and ready to play. I've been playing this game so long, so don't make [the moment] bigger than it is."