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Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers: 5 players to watch

By Kenneth Teape

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Brandon Ingram (L) #14 and Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers react on the bench as the final seconds tick off the clock in their 108-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks in a semifinal game of the 2017 Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 16, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Brandon Ingram (L) #14 and Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers react on the bench as the final seconds tick off the clock in their 108-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks in a semifinal game of the 2017 Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 16, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers: 5 players to watch
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 12: Jake Layman #10 of the Portland Trail Blazers handles the ball against Denzel Valentine #45 of the Chicago Bulls during the 2017 Summer League on July 12, 2017 at Cox Pavillion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Jake Layman

We mentioned previously that the Lakers starting lineup is pretty small with guard Matt Thomas playing small forward. The Blazers have a big front court, as the 6-feet-9 inch Jake Layman is the starting small forward.

Based on the size difference alone Layman is someone to watch. When you have 4-5 inches on your defender, it makes things much easier offensively. Layman isn’t much of a distributor, averaging only 0.9, but he has been scoring well.

Layman is the second leading scorer on the Trail Blazers, averaging 12.7 points per game. Layman has shown off some athleticism with highlight dunks, but the offense has not been very efficient. He has made only 33.8 percent of his shots and 25 percent from three-point range.

While he hasn’t been efficient yet, having a distinct size advantage could help get him on track. The Lakers cannot afford to have Layman get going, as they will have enough to worry about with the power forward/center combo of Jarnell Stokes and Caleb Swanigan.

Layman could be the difference between a win and loss for the Lakers. If Los Angeles hold him in check, resulting in continued inefficient offense, the Lakers will improve their chances of victory.

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