Lake Show Life
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Los Angeles Lakers: Summer league standouts earning regular season minutes

By Donny McHenry

EL SEGUNDO, CA - JUNE 26: Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations, stands with the team's 2018 NBA draft picks Moritz Wagner #15 and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19 during an introductory press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center on June 26, 2018 in El Segundo, California. 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 Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA - JUNE 26: Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations, stands with the team's 2018 NBA draft picks Moritz Wagner #15 and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19 during an introductory press conference at the UCLA Health Training Center on June 26, 2018 in El Segundo, California. 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 Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images /

From Summer League to competing for a playoff spot

Even with competition for minutes from Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee, the three Summer League players will get some sort of minutes throughout the regular season.

Even with a crowded shooting guard spot for the Lakers, Hart seems set to build on his solid rookie year performance and get some legit playing time in the 2018-19 season.

Hart averaged 23.2 minutes per game last season as the clear-cut backup SG to KCP after Jordan Clarkson was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He shot well in the role making 39.6 percent of his 3.1 threes attempted per game. His shooting and overall play contributed to his 105.8 offensive rating, which was 2nd best on the team of players who played at least 60 games for the Lake Show.

Hart should enter the season as the backup SG to KCP again, as Lance Stephenson had below average numbers on the season. Svi, even though he is performing well in the Summer League, is entering a deep roster as a second-round pick and doesn’t figure to be a threat to Hart’s minutes.

Speaking of Svi, you would assume the guard from Kansas would fall into 4th on the SG depth chart behind KCP, Hart, and Lance. He might be able to leapfrog over Lance as it seems he will be the best shooter going into training camp.

Svi has continued his lights out 3-point shooting from Kansas by going from 44.4 percent during his senior year to 39.1 percent on 7.7 attempts per game through the first three Summer League games.

Svi’s defense was also assumed to be a weakness of his as his wingspan was below average for his 6’8” height, coming in at 6’5”. He has shown good defensive flashes during the first three Summer League games, however, including this sequence below from their win against the Chicago Bulls.

If Svi continues to show an all-around game in addition to his lights out shooting, he may earn more minutes than you’d think for a second-round rookie on a LeBron-led team. Maybe even more than veteran Lance Stephenson.

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