The Lakeshow Review

After capping off the California Classic with a big comeback win against the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers Summer Leaguers came out flat during game one of the Las Vegas Summer League Tournament against the Dallas Mavericks. Prized number one draft pick Cooper Flagg and the young Mavs took down the Lakers 87-85, giving LA its second loss in 4 games of Summer League play so far. It was an up and down contest, with Lakers getting off to a hot start early on, and securing a 47-43 lead by halftime. The Lakers would go on to give up their lead in the third, after forward Dalton Knecht, who had it going late in the third quarter, was subbed out. LAs youngsters made a strong push to regain the lead, late through the fourth quarter, only to see one of their leading scorers Dalton Knecht, exit the game with a cramp (after blowing an easy layup). The Lakers failed to muster any offense during the final minutes, as they watched their lead evaporate as Dallas took command, eventually closing out the Lakers en route to a 87-85 victory.

Sharpshooter Cole Swider continued to impress, as the 26 year-old NBA hopeful connected on 6-9 three point shots, on his way to scoring 22 for the night. Big man Darius Bazley also continued his solid play, tallying 8 points and 11 boards. More importantly, he played a key role in holding Dallas’ young ace Cooper Flagg to just 10 points on 21 shots. Bazley put forth a tremendous effort on the defensive end against the number one overall pick, utilizing his length to disrupt and alter shots as well as clean the the glass. Bazley has been a pleasant surprise so far in these games, and the Lakers currently hold an open two-way contract spot. Perhaps he should be the one to get it. He’s been a big part of the Lakers’ relative success thus far.

Second year man Dalton Knecht had another inconsistent game, scoring 15 points on 16 shots, in addition to going 3-7 from beyond the arc. He was unable to catch a rhythm tonight, but did produce a few bright spots. His defense was fairly decent, and he did manage to string together some good sequences. He led a late 3rd quarter push to give the Lakers the lead, connecting on a couple of threes in addition to having a nice drive and finish at the rim. In a somewhat puzzling decision, Dalton was pulled with about five minutes in the third quarter, and the Lakers proceeded to lose the lead heading into the fourth. Knecht received some rest to start the final quarter, and after checking in he helped LA regain the lead. Unfortunately, he suffered a case of the cramps, after stealing the ball at mid-court following an errant Mavs crosscourt pass. He then drove to the rim, but cramped up as he was going up for the layup. The Lakers were down a point at this moment, and unfortunately failed to produce consistent offense the rest of the way. Following DKs exit, LA saw Dallas push their lead and eventually close them out.

Bronny James had another poor performance. The sophomore scored 7 points on 2-8 shooting from the field, and 1-6 from three point range. He got off to a hot 2-2 start with five points in quarter one, but failed to find any semblance of a groove the rest of the way. Given the fact that Bronny was awarded a guaranteed deal, as a second round draft choice out of USC during last summer’s NBA Draft, it’s reasonable to expect some kind of NBA ready attributes from the young legacy prospect. So far I don’t see how that’s the case. Defensively, he had some good moments checking prized pick Cooper Flagg, ultimately registering a couple of defensive stops. But his overall focus looks lackluster and he also missed some rotations leading to open threes. Offensively, Bronny is quite raw, to put it politely. He still lacks a tight handle, is not a natural playmaker and still sports a broken jumper. Even if he winds up becoming another all defense/no offense type who can readily defend at the NBA level, the Lakers already have a player of this billing in Jarred Vanderbilt. In order for Bronny to register any significant playing time, he will have to show some flashes of offense. He needs to find some spark when it comes to shooting, playmaking or finishing at the basket. For a player with no standout skill in his bag, Bronny plays with no motor. If his offense is lacking, then he needs to display some consistent tenacity on the defensive end by being both a pest and a disruptor. He needs to be the guy who finds his way to every loose ball. Ala Alex Caruso, or Trevor Ariza from year’s past. And yes, it’s fair to point out these things because Bronny James is a Los Angeles Laker, and was given a firm roster spot on guaranteed salary. On a team that’s viewed as a playoff contender in a tough Western Conference, every roster spot has to count. The team cannot be wasting a roster spot on a low-ceiling project such as Bronny. And yes, that’s precisely what he is at the moment. He has some work to do before he is a legitimate rotation player for the Lakers, and if and when he gets there, props to him.

The Lakers continue their Las Vegas summer games this Saturday, as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Hopefully the team can continue to gel and guys continue to shine given their opportunities. Cole Swider and Darius Bazley have both been standouts thus far. Dalton Knecht continues to be up and down, despite signs that he’s finding his groove. I firmly believe that the Lakers win this contest if not for Knecht’s injury late in the fourth, as the team lost its best NBA shotmaker after he exited the contest. But alas, no excuses. The lack of a true point guard has also held this Summer League group back a tad, as they don’t have a natural floor general to set cup the offense, which often leads a lot of robotic passes in hopes of finding an open shot. But again, no excuses. Let’s hope the young Lakers can find their rhythm and put forth a better effort in these last few games. One where they can establish a lead early on, through sound ball movement and team defense, and ultimately hold on to that lead. This roster already has NBA players on it, perhaps by the end of the tournament it can give us a few more. Go Lakers.