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The 2022 Las Vegas summer league has officially been underway for a week, with plenty of highlights. Several members of the 2022 rookie class debuted in the desert, including No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith Jr.

The top picks have battled it out, including one matchup between the Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers that featured a sudden death double-overtime ending. In addition to rookie debuts, Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman made his long-awaited return to NBA action after tearing his right meniscus in April 2021.

In addition to all the action on the court, the NBA’s board of governors has been busy, too. The board finalized a change to the transition take foul rule on Tuesday, awarding a free throw to the team that gets fouled.

The league also made the play-in tournament a permanent fixture as of Tuesday, voting to keep the four elimination games in place after two successful seasons.

What has been the biggest surprise so far? What about the biggest disappointment? Did the NBA get it right by adding a new penalty? Our insiders break down the biggest storylines through the first week in Las Vegas.

MORE: Wiseman’s return, the latest on rookie contract extensions and more intel from Vegas

1. What has been the biggest surprise so far?

Dave McMenamin: Two sudden death double-overtime games … and the way each was received by the crowd. I was at Thomas & Mack for both the Orlando Magic‘s double-OT win over the Kings and the Charlotte Hornets‘ double-OT win over the Lakers and one was not like the other. The Magic win was in the middle of the day and the crowd was rabid with excitement. Easily the best atmosphere I’ve seen in more than a decade going to the Vegas event. The Hornets’ win, on the other hand, had the crowd in fits. It was the last game of the night and the mostly pro-Lakers crowd seemed to just want it to end so they could hit the casinos.

Bobby Marks: The crowds. COVID-19 canceled all summer league games in 2020 and had an impact on attendance last year. Judging by the size of the crowds, not only in the first few days but the entire week of games, the NBA is back to where it was before the pandemic. Cox Pavilion was close to capacity for nearly every game and Thomas & Mack (the larger venue) saw the lower bowl almost reach full capacity every day.

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Kendra Andrews: How few second-year players are showing up. I can’t offer the voice of, “I remember when…,” when it comes to covering summer leagues where a lot of sophomores played, but I do know they happened. Watching Warriors sophomores Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, and how the coaching staff talks about using summer league as a way for them to work on the areas of their game they need to improve on for the Warriors to remain atop the league next season, it’s curious why more teams don’t want their players in similar scenarios in Las Vegas. The same goes for how the Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Josh Giddey has used summer league to build chemistry with Chet Holmgren.

Ohm Youngmisuk: Mfiondu Kabengele didn’t get many opportunities with the veteran-ladened LA Clippers after being drafted No. 27 overall in 2019. But his physique and game bulked up for summer league. The 6-foot-9 center averaged 14 points and 9.3 rebounds in his first four games for the Boston Celtics. He had 20 points and 13 rebounds against the Warriors, who played Wiseman and Kuminga in that game.

Andrew Lopez: Houston Rockets rookie Tari Eason has made the most of his time on the floor in Vegas. With plenty of eyes on Houston because of No. 3 overall pick Smith, a good amount of people have gotten to see what Eason, the No. 17 overall pick from LSU, can do too. Through the Rockets’ first four games, Eason is averaging 16.8 points and 10.5 rebounds with three double-doubles, while also showing off the defensive instincts that helped him so much at the collegiate level.

2. What has been the biggest disappointment so far?

Lopez: That we only got to see No. 1 overall pick Banchero for two games. Banchero had 40 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks in those two contests before the Magic decided to shut him down for the rest of summer league. Banchero told reporters that he wanted to keep playing, but wasn’t going to fight the Magic on the decision. Averaging 20.0 points over the two games, Banchero becomes the first No. 1 overall pick to average 20 a game in summer league since John Wall in 2010, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Marks: The top five picks in the 2021 draft. Call me old-school, but have we reached a point when players entering their second year in the league get a free pass when it comes to summer league? The teams will argue that players like Magic guard Jalen Suggs worked out with the varsity club in Vegas, but nothing helps development on the court more than real action. On the other hand, lottery picks Giddey, Kuminga, Moody and Joshua Primo all stood out.

Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs sat courtside for his team’s opening night matchup against the Houston Rockets, one of many second-year players forgoing summer league action. Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Youngmisuk: Teams deciding to keep young stars from playing. It would’ve been nice to see more second-year players play and grow. Heck, I understand why teams hold out their top rookies after the first few games, like Orlando did with Banchero. But I’m old enough to remember when the Lakers had their scintillating run in summer league with Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso and Co., and the fans loved every single minute of it.

Andrews: I was disappointed we didn’t see some of this season’s top picks because of injuries. Jaden Ivey hurt his ankle and was shut down. Dyson Daniels hurt his ankle in his first game. Perhaps the most disappointing one was Shaedon Sharpe‘s left shoulder injury.

McMenamin: Sharpe. After sitting out the entire season for Kentucky, summer league was supposed to be where we got to finally see what Damian Lillard‘s new running mate could do against stiffer competition. Instead, the No. 7 pick didn’t even play seven minutes in his debut before suffering a small tear in his left labrum, causing him to shut it down. So, we wait.

3. Who has been summer league MVP?

Andrews: Watching the Kings in Las Vegas and in the California Classic, it’s hard not to get excited for No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray. His scoring has been spectacular and he’s led his team to multiple tight games.

Marks: It was only a handful of summer league games, but Murray proved that he could play starter minutes in the NBA right now. Murray followed up a 19.7 PPG performance in the 2022 California Classic with 24 points on 37% shooting from three in Las Vegas.

Stay up to date on the latest NBA free agency and trade news all summer long:

McMenamin: Can I say Jason of Beverly Hills for those sweet summer league championship rings he designed? If we have to pick a player, how about Kabengele? The Celtics prospect put up 14 points on 55.9%, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in four games for Boston and was dunking all over the place.

Lopez: New Orleans Pelicans guard Trey Murphy III would have a case after putting up 26.5 points, 7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game in two games, but since he’s being shut down for the rest of summer league, let’s focus on Milwaukee Bucks big man Sandro Mamukelashvili. In his first four games, Mamukelashvili is averaging 20.5 points and 8.8 rebounds on 48.1% shooting — and 50% from deep. Honorable mention to Mamukelashvili’s teammate Lindell Wigginton, who has put up 20 points and 5.5 assists a game off the bench. So maybe we give Wigginton the fictitious Summer League Sixth Man of the Year Award?

Youngmisuk: The Brooklyn Nets‘ Cam Thomas averaged a summer league-leading 28.7 points in three games. He showed the ability to score points at times last season, and he could be in store for a much bigger role if Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are moved before next season. The Nets will need him to do more than just score and will look for more performances like the one he put up against Philadelphia in his second summer league game when he had 26 points and seven assists.

4. True or false: The NBA made the right call in penalizing the take foul and cementing the play-in tournament?

Marks: True with a capital T. The change in the take foul rule was long overdue, and games should flow at a better pace moving forward. Keeping the play-in tournament was a no-brainer. Not only has it eliminated teams playing out the string of games at the end of the season, but has already helped in the development of young rosters in Memphis, New Orleans and Minnesota.

McMenamin: True. Credit where credit is due, the NBA got it right with these two. Although, I would like to see the play-in tournament amended so that the teams in 9th and 10th have to be within a certain amount of games of 7th and 8th to qualify.

Andrews: As true as ever. Upping the penalty for the take foul should lead to more dunks and speed up the game — all things we should agree will make basketball more exciting. As for the play-in tournament, it not only gives teams motivation from tanking, but it also gives young teams a taste of what the playoffs feel like.

Youngmisuk: A resounding true for both. The take foul became one of the most annoying things in the game, halting so many would-be highlight breakaway plays. And the play-in tournament has proven to be an exciting layer.

Lopez: Absolutely true. Everyone has been clamoring for a take foul rule change for quite some time, so testing the policy out at summer league and then making it a permanent rule change is a big plus. As for the play-in tournament, do the Pelicans trade for CJ McCollum at the deadline last year if there weren’t a play-in? The push for the play-in led to a first-round playoff berth and has given the Pelicans momentum heading into the 2022-23 season.

5. The biggest takeaway after one week?

McMenamin: Kudos to Giddey and the Thunder. The best way for young players to get better and develop a cohesion with one another is to play together against the best competition available. Novel concept, right? Giddey’s inclusion in the summer league as a rising sophomore was the exception, not the rule. Smart decision by Oklahoma City.

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Lopez: The Thunder are going to experience a big jump in NBA League Pass viewership. Already equipped with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey, the Thunder added Holmgren to the mix. He’s already showing off what he can do on the offensive end in Utah and Las Vegas. But the question of whether he’ll be as effective on the defensive end remains to be seen. He did put up 14 blocks in four games but has struggled at times against bigger players — namely the Memphis Grizzlies‘ 6-7, 275-pound Kenneth Lofton Jr.

Andrews: Even with the high bar of being the No. 2 pick, Holmgren has really impressed me in Las Vegas. There were some question marks around how exactly he’d fit in the NBA system. While it’s just summer league, it appears Holmgren could be built for the NBA. The Thunder — even if they don’t take a monster step this season — will be fun to watch.

Youngmisuk: It should be one heck of a race for rookie of the year with Banchero, Holmgren and Murray all showing flashes early on. Speaking of Holmgren, the Thunder may continue to lose a ton of games, but at least they’ll be more entertaining with him and Giddey.

Marks: The race for the rookie of the year honors should be wide open. All of the top picks in this year’s class had moments where they were the best player on the court. Like last season when relative underdog Scottie Barnes won top honors, do not be surprised if Murray garners strong consideration this year.

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You may have heard about Backpage, a website where you could find ads for just about anything you can think of. That’s because it made national headlines a few years back because some unsavory people were using it for questionable reasons. That said, many people used Backpage legitimately such as buying or selling regular goods like you can do on popular sites such as OfferUp.

While Craigslist is one possible (and popular) alternative to Backpage, it no longer has personal ads either. So, read on to learn more about twenty of the best Backpage alternative websites. First, we’ll cover Backpage alternatives in terms of meeting people for casual dating or hookup purposes (like Tinder), then we’ll cover alternatives for buying and selling goods.

11 Backpage Alternatives for Meeting People and Dating

A lot of people appreciated Backpage for its personal ads page as a way to find other people looking for “casual” encounters. So, we’re going to start off by looking at some of the best Backpage alternatives when it comes to casual online dating or finding hookups.There’s a large variety here, so you’ll want to read through to find out which site or app may be the best choice for you. Also, you should be aware that some of these pages may have some of the same issues that plagued Backpage and ended up getting that site taken down. So, please take into account the following disclaimer:

While most of these sites are perfectly legitimate, there are a few that might have scams and/or ads for illegal activities. In general, you should always exercise extreme caution when using largely unvetted public sites or Backpage-type websites. Remember to meet in a public place and always trust your gut.

1.) Tinder

This one doesn’t really require an introduction, as just about everyone and their mom has heard of Tinder. It’s gone global and is now the number one dating app in the world in terms of registered accounts, largely due to its popularity with millennials and gen Z. In case you’re unfamiliar, Tinder is a pretty straightforward app. You see random profiles in your area, with photos and a little bit of text. You then swipe right to indicate your interest, or left, if you don’t. Then, you’ll be matched with people who you swiped right on who also swiped right on your profile. From there, you can start messaging and go from there. As with the other sites, there’s a free version as well as a paid tier (Tinder Gold) for additional features and unlimited swiping.

2.) Ashley Madison

You’ve probably seen ads for Ashley Madison on *ahem* those websites. That’s because this site is all about connecting adults who are looking for casual hookups. One big plus for Ashley Madison is that it really prioritizes discretion. For example, if you decide to become a paying member, your credit card statement will simply read “Online services.” And you will probably want to do that if you’d like to take advantage of everything this website has to offer, including features such as “Traveling Man,” which lets you reach out to people from the area you’ll soon be visiting. Check out our full Ashley Madison review.

3.) Adult Friend Finder

When it comes to alternatives to Backpage for romantic encounters, Adult Friend Finder is easily one of the top choices. It cites itself as “The World’s Largest Sex Dating Site & Swinger Personals Community,” and it has a staggering amount of people signed up—over 100 million accounts, in fact. Just as with Ashley Madison, there’s a free option but it’s rather limited compared to the paid subscription tier. There are chatrooms, vlogs, messaging, and a (paid) feature called Stories that lets you discuss your dream dating life so other people can see if they share the same vibe or goals. Click here to read more about Adult Friend Finder.

4.) Kasual

Kasual, formerly known as Yumi, is a cool Backpage alternative because it’s really unique. Instead of getting matched up via algorithm or swiping, you get connected randomly to a person and the two of you can begin talking right away and see if there’s a connection. This app is available for Android and iOS, and the free version is pretty complete. If you like, though, you can always opt for the Premium membership. Ultimately, Kasual is a breath of fresh air compared to many hookup sites like Tinder because it’s ultra-focused on casual hookups (hence the rebranded name).

5.) Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish, or POF, refers to the old dating mantra that there are “plenty of fish in the sea”—in other words, don’t sweat being single or getting broken up with, because there are a whole lot of people out there (billions, in fact). You can use POF as a website or app, which is kind of nice. It’s a pretty typical dating site, where you get matched up with people based on shared interests. They also have a nice video-date feature that may make you feel safer (especially women) about meeting up with someone after seeing them over video first.

6.) Pernals

Logo

Pernals is an app that’s all about personal ads. It allows you to create your own personal ad for free so you can state exactly what you’re looking for (a relationship, casual hookup, friend, etc.). Pernals even lists itself as a direct alternative to Backpage classified ads. They feature relationship categories like Backpage’s personals page used to: platonic, woman seeking woman, woman seeking man, man seeking woman, etc. It’s only available as an app, which you can download either with Google Play or the Apple Store.

7.) Bedpage

Bedpage is another Backpage alternative. Although it features many different categories, the ones that may be of most interest to people looking for a Backpage alternative would be the “Dating” and “Adult” categories. You should definitely proceed carefully with this site, however, as there are no doubt many people trying to use it to scam people and/or conduct illicit activities.

8.) Doublelist

Doublelist is another site that’s similar to Backpage. One slightly annoying aspect is you have to sign up in order to browse their site, which leads with the tagline “Connect with straight, gay, bi and curious!” So, it isn’t hard to know what most people are looking for with Doublelist. They claim to have more than three million users in the U.S., however, so there might be a good chance you can find something that you vibe well with. As always, watch out for catfishers and other scammers.

9.) Oodle

Oodle has features very similar to old personals sites, with categories such as “Men Seek Women,” “Women Seek Men,” etc. There are also some filters including age, which can be nice if you want to narrow things down. There don’t appear to be a ton of people using this site, but it might be worth a shot. At least for my area, there are a lot more men posting on it than women, so depending on what you’re looking for it might not be a great option.

10.) Locanto

Locanto has a similar set up to Oodle and the other Backpage personals imitations. For example, there’s a “Casual Encounters” category with lots of subcategories. You can post a personal ad to let people know what you’re looking for. Like with Oodle, it appears to be mostly men posting and some of the female postings seem rather scammy. As long as you use your best judgment, Locanto could end up being a solid option for meeting people.

11.) eBackpage

Ebackpage is—you guessed it—a Backpage clone that’s just about identical to Bedpage in terms of its look. Like Backpage, there are personal ads available, and like Bedpage, there are both “Dating” and “Adult” categories with the usual options. This site didn’t appear to have many people posting, however. In the “Women seek men,” section, for example, the last posts were from May 2021. You can give this site a try but be aware that there are plenty of scammers on it.

9 Backpage Alternatives For Posting Classified Ads

While the above websites and apps all have the goal of connecting people for dating purposes, Backpage was really a one-stop shop for everything. So, this next batch of Backpage alternatives will focus on sites where you can post ads for buying and selling goods, whether that’s an electric guitar, Playstation, couch, or other items.

1.) Craigslist

If you’re in the U.S., Craigslist probably doesn’t need much introduction as it’s been a household name for a while. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Craigslist. As with any of the sites listed in this review, you have to watch out for scams, but in general I’ve had dozens of easy, smooth transactions with people in my community. Although Craigslist no longer has a “personals” page in the wake of the Backpage scandal, it’s definitely one of the best places to go if you’re looking to buy or sell something in your area.

2.) Offerup

Offerup is a website for the buying and selling goods, whether that’s shoes, clothing, headphones, guitars, furniture, you name it. While you can use it on your desktop, the app itself is a bit better. Also, unlike Craiglist, there is an option for shipping, so you can find stuff from all over the country as long as the person is willing to ship whatever it is that they’re selling. As a buyer and seller, this opens you up to more options. Another cool feature with Offerup is there’s a “free” section so you can take advantage of what people are trying to just quickly get rid of.

3.) Pennysaver

PennySaver is another popular website for those of us out there who are always trying to save money. You can look for real estate listing, cars and motorcycles, jobs, services, even pets! There are a ton of different ways to save money through the PennySaver, which has been in operation for more than fifty years with its original printed classifieds and mailers. This is another great Backpage alternative with a local focus so you can save money whether that’s on a plumber of dining out.

4.) Kijiji

Kijiji is the perfect Backpage alternative if you just so happen to live in Canada. Since it’s a Canadian site, you can browse in English or in French, plus there’s a Kijiji Autos page just for people looking to buy or sell their car. As with Backpage, you select your region and then your city. You can find just about anything on Kijiji, as with PennySaver, so that means getting deals on cars, apartments, services, and pets.

5.) Geebo

Geebo bills itself as “Safe Community Classifieds.” To this end, Geebo has a “Scams & Shams” page that encourages its users to follow certain safety practices, such as purchasing locally, meeting in public, bringing a friend, and following your gut. These are good rules to apply in general to all the sites reviewed here, but it’s nice that Geebo goes out of its way to try to encourage a safer experience. Geebo also has a job portal that can help you potentially find your next employee—it does seem like an expensive service, however, at $299 for 1 month of access.

6.) Gumtree

Gumtree is the Craigslist of the U.K., so if you happen to live there then this is definitely one of your top options. You can peruse job listings, cars, gaming consoles, apartment listings, etc. Gumtree also has an option to rate people who you conduct business with, which is a nice feature as you’ll have a better sense of whether or not someone is trustworthy before you start engaging with them. In general, Gumtree has solid online reviews, as people appreciate the easy-to-use interface.

7.) Free Ads Time

Free Ads Time is a global classifieds website, which is nice because you can potentially use it all over the world wherever you go. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to have many active users, as I could hardly find any postings for my city (a relatively good-sized one). As with most of these sites, Free Ads Time has all the usual categories, meaning that you can look for apartments or houses to rent, roommates, jobs, pets, cars, furniture, clothes, etc.

8.) Want Ad Digest

Want Ad Digest is like Penny Saver in that it goes back some 50+ years. This site has a specific focus on the East Coast, catering to states such as New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, etc. You can use Want Ad Digest to find watches, electronics, cars, campers, even farm equipment! It’s got all the usual categories that you’re accustomed to finding on other sites, with a special focus on cars, trucks, powersports, trailers, boats, and the like.

9.) LetGo

The basic idea of LetGo is right there in the name, encouraging us to let go of what we have so that others might enjoy it. LetGo is a newer app that shares a fair amount in common with OfferUp (see above). This means that it’s only accessible via mobile app (iOS or Android). Like OfferUp, LetGo is all about letting you access the “secret economy right in your neighborhood,” as their website says. As with Gumtree and OfferUp, you can rate other users on the site who you transact with, which makes these sites feel a little safer than some of the others reviewed here.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there are a ton of options in terms of Backpage alternatives. If you read all of these reviews, however, you can see that that definitely doesn’t mean that they’re all created equal. In fact, some of these are much better than others.

In general, if you’re in the U.S., your best bet is probably to stick with one of the major dating or hookup sites, such as Tinder, Adult Friend Finder, or AshleyMadison (or another one that’s similar to those). And if you’re looking to buy and sell stuff, then your best bet is to probably stick with OfferUp or LetGo. If you’re in Canada, then Kijiji, and if you’re in the U.K., then Gumtree.

Some of the other sites may be okay, but a fair amount seem to host quite a lot of scams, so remember to be extra careful if you’re using one of the lesser-known sites. Make sure you follow basic common sense and never send strangers any money before you’ve actually met with them and have verified that everything is legit. When in doubt, trust your gut and stay safe out there!

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