Lakers’ Summer League Mid-Way Point Observations

As evidenced by the enormous crowds, these are not ordinary times for the Los Angeles Lakers as they participate in the 2015 Summer League games. There was great anticipation that we would see highly skilled young players who would inspire a fan base that is starving for a sign that better times are within sight. Many were saying this would be the best Lakers’ summer league squad in franchise history, one that was likely to win the summer league title. After all, eight of the players on the squad are expected to comprise about two-thirds of the regular season roster. The team features D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, the highest draftees selected by the Lakers in over 30 years, players we hoped would stand above the many lesser-known summer league participants who were undrafted and will not even be playing this fall.

RELATED: 5 Things D’Angelo Russell Can Learn From Kobe Bryant

It would be silly and unfair to state any absolutes based solely on two summer league games. Still, to be honest, the team has underachieved thus far. Perhaps my expectations were unreasonably high, but the fact remains that overall the team looked ragged in both games. There was no consistent outside shooting and too many turnovers, with players catching passes out of bounds and the 24 second shot clock expiring without a shot. There has been almost no spacing, ball- movement or penetration on offense, and on defense, there was little protection inside the paint without fouling. There were reports that Byron Scott, who was supposed to be relaxing in the stands, was sufficiently concerned after game one that he gave a stern speech to the squad before the start of the second contest, which I’m guessing is unusual in the summer league.

These are initial impressions only, but here are a few observations thus far. First, Jordan Clarkson is, by far, the best player on the Lakers team and that includes the squad that will be assembled to play this fall. He is young. He is hungry. He is relentless. He is fast and quick. His outside shooting is improved and his defense as well. He has worked on his game relentlessly this summer. Recently, I was watching Access Sports Net Lakers and heard Mike Trudell and Kevin Ding say that Clarkson will be a reserve this season who will spell Kobe Bryant and Russell. I was pretty sure at the time they were wrong, but after watching the first two summer league games their statements seem laugh-out-loud funny. The only question about Clarkson at this point is will he ever come out of the games?

Second, players such as Tarik Black, Larry Nance, Jr., Anthony Brown, and the newly-signed Robert Upshaw, all show promise though they will need time to develop which is normal for rookies — anybody that saw Andrew Wiggins for the first half of last season compared with the second half you will know what I mean. It is easy to overlook Black because he went undrafted and is undersized, but he plays with heart and energy and his skills are better than many people realize. He needs to work at staying out of foul trouble, which is easier said than done when he must guard competitors who have a significant size advantage. Nance was very nervous in the first game and it showed, but in the second contest he became a crowd-favorite with his leaping ability and hustle. He blocked some shots and made some spectacular finishes at the rim. Brown’s game is quiet, but if you watch closely he plays good defense and thus far has shown he can hit some outside shots. Upshaw is clearly a project. He is rusty and out of shape, but he has great size and strength and with time and patience he could develop into an important player. In sum, these players are all young and raw but they show promise and given time they could become valuable second-unit players on this next year’s squad.

In contrast, if I were the front office, I would be a little worried about Russell based on what we observed the first two games. One could say it is early, that this is only the Summer League, and it would be entirely true. But if you watched other teams play the past week you know the recent lottery picks – from Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns to Kristaps Porzingis, Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson, Justise Winslow, and Miles Turner – have all looked special. Clarkson, who was a mid-second round choice, turned heads in last year’s summer league. You watched his energy and his assertiveness and you knew the guy was going to be a good player.

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Russell, thus far, has not looked comfortable. He made a couple of nice passes but has been prone to turnovers and has shot poorly against unheralded summer league point guards. Watching Okafor’s dominant skills last night, some are still wondering how the team could have bypassed him which no doubt adds pressure on Russell. One observation is that he seems to lack quickness which prevents him from penetrating and either scoring at the rim or kicking it out to the wing for an open shot which is absolutely necessary for a point guard to succeed at the NBA level. Hopefully it is just an adjustment period and we are confusing his tentativeness for a lack of requisite speed and quickness. Hopefully Russell will bounce back and showcase his talents in the remaining two games.

Finally, there is Randle. I can’t be too judgmental about Randle because he was returning from injury and hasn’t played in a game since last fall. In the first summer league contest he was awkward and out of control most of the night (i.e., he was rusty), and it made for a poor overall performance. But in the second half he did have two or three highlight moments, and for Randle, his big moments are indeed very impressive. The extent to which Randle will excel as an NBA player will be determined mostly by whether he can stay healthy and gain some consistency.

The Lakers have three games left in the summer league. The goal is for the players to show improvement individually and as a unit. That way, they will enter training camp in two and a half months with momentum and confidence. All eyes should be on Russell and Randle, who are being counted on to lead this franchise into the future. It is a daunting task, and they need to show they can meet the challenge. Whether they do so or not will determine if the Lakers become contenders again over the next few years or if the franchise remains at the bottom of the heap.