How the Lakers Summer League Affects the Regular Season

At least five players on the Lakers summer league team will be on their regular season roster. What did their performances mean for the upcoming season?

The Lakers young players did their best to give fans a show during their brief tenure at Las Vegas Summer League and though their title hopes were ended early here’s a few quick breakdowns of what each player brought to the table.

D’Angelo Russell has been universally praised, and rightfully so, for his development. Not only did he show improvement in all statistical areas, but he also displayed increased confidence, determination and a willingness to take charge and lead a team.

He still has to master coach Luke Walton’s ‘pass-and-cut’ offense, but he’ll be practicing that along with the entire squad soon enough during fall training camp. In his lone year at Ohio State, although Russell was the main ball handler, he also often played off the ball, so he should be able to make the adjustment. But right now, his progress has been impressive… and at age 20, he should only get better.

Larry Nance Jr. was a fan favorite in Las Vegas with his tomahawk slam dunks, blocked shots, improved outside shot and better-than-expected ball handling. He proved that he is an important cog in the exciting young Lakers nucleus, and will be a valuable part of the player rotation. His athleticism and hustle make him exciting to watch.

More from Lake Show Life

Anthony Brown showed this summer that defense is his strength. On a team with mostly average (at best) perimeter defenders, his ability to guard away from the paint might earn him regular season playing time.

If he can rediscover the outside shooting stroke he displayed at Stanford and become a consistent 3-point catch and shoot threat, then he will get even more minutes on the court.

Brandon Ingram may not have quite lived up to all his hype this summer but he showed flashes of the player everyone hopes he will regularly become.

Walton will have the luxury of starting Luol Deng and bringing Ingram off the bench, at least to start the season. That will take pressure off the rookie and allow him to develop at his own pace while not having to match up right away with established forwards like Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kawhi Leonard.

Ivica Zubac was probably the most pleasant surprise of the summer. The 7-1 second round draft choice quickly became a fan favorite and showed that he has the tools to become a very good NBA center.

He blocked shots, scored inside in a variety of ways, rebounded, set picks, showed good hands and passing ability and displayed an outside shot good enough that the coaches already want him expanding it to 3-point range. In the future people might just scratch their heads and wonder how he slipped to the Lakers at pick number 32.

Two non-roster players were also impressive:

Zach Auguste, the 6-10 undrafted rookie from Notre Dame, showed great hustle and mobility in the summer league. The Lakers have room for one more power forward/center on their roster. If they don’t find a veteran to fill the bill, Auguste just might make the final cut.

Jabari Brown, a former college teammate of Jordan Clarkson at Missouri, played well for the Lakers in a late-season call-up in 2014. Last fall, he was the final player cut, losing out to Metta World Peace. He has an excellent outside shooting touch. If the Lakers trade or cut Nick Young, as expected, Brown has a chance to fill out this year’s roster.

The Lakers front office should be applauded for their success in the draft the last three years. In particular, both Ryan West and Jesse Buss deserve kudos for their scouting prowess.

The team has three other players, Clarkson, Julius Randle and Tarik Black, who have also played only two professional seasons. That youthful roster is the reason why Mitch Kupchak sought to add veterans in the offseason for balance and leadership.

Deng will undoubtedly mentor Ingram, while Zubac can learn much from his practice battles in the paint against Timofey Mozgov and both Jose Calderon and Marcelo Huertas can teach Russell a great deal about playing point guard.

No, the Lakers won’t win the 2017 NBA title and in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, they probably won’t even make the playoffs. But the rebuild is in progress, the pieces are in place, and the team should certainly be exciting to watch. And if Lakers fans are patient, this could be the start of something big.

Next: LA D-Fenders Are Staying Busy This Offseason

For now, management, coaches and fans should be all smiles because the future looks very bright indeed.

Home/Lakers News