Power Ranking: Best Lakers summer league players

3. Robert Sacre

In any other season, Sacre would not have seen the light of day in terms of playing time for an NBA team. To his credit, he works hard and puts in the effort, but his game just wasn’t refined enough for him to be a contributor. It’s amazing what just a few months have done for Sacre, who looked like a totally different player. He had a relatively wide array of post moves, showing a hook shot with each hand, flashing a mid-range game, and further establishing his ability to roll to the basket after setting a screen. He was also the captain defensively, anchoring the middle of the floor and altering numerous shot attempts and making this difficult for big men down low. Sure, there were still moments that showed he’s a work in progress, but it’s the moments of success that have Lakers fans excited about his future.

Jul 14, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trailblazers forward Thomas Robinson splits the defense of Los Angeles Lakers guard Lester Hudson and Center Robert Sacre during the first quarter of an NBA Summer League game at the Thomas and Mack center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

2. Chris Douglas-Roberts

By most accounts, CDR was the most likely player on the squad to get an invite to Lakers training camp based on his performance last year in training camp. However, he early struggled through the first two games, which can be somewhat attributed to an ankle sprain he suffered in the first game. Despite never quite fully looking 100%, his performance was enough to show Lakers fans what he’s capable of. He’s not a shooter, but he does everything else, especially excelling in getting to the rim and creating shots for his teammates. He will make the Lakers roster and could also become a rotation player, which says a lot about his skill (and the state of the Lakers).

1. Marcus Landry

Coming into summer league play, by all accounts (including stats), Landry was a 3-point shooter. While he was a great marksmen, he had never proven to be able to score in any other manner. Boy did he prove everyone wrong during summer league. Landry led the Lakers in scoring at 15.2 points per game. He never scored less than 14 in any contest and topped out at 18 in the first tournament game against the Bucks. The strongest aspect of Landry’s game during summer league was his ability and willingness – which is key – to get to the rim. In 5 summer league games, Marcus Landry shot 21 free throws, an average of 4.8 a game. In 35 D-League games last year, he shot just 56 total, just 1.6 per. With teams aware of his 3-point shooting capabilities (which he shot 37.1% in summer league), players rush out to him, which allowed him to blow by with ease and draw fouls at the rim. Landry went from a borderline training camp invite to now a borderline roster player next season.