Los Angeles Lakers Summer League Notebook: Game 4 Reaction
There was life for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ Summer League team, at least for awhile, until it was snuffed out by Dallas Mavericks center Jeremy Tyler.
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Tyler, a former Laker, tipped in a ball with under two seconds left to give Dallas an 88-86 victory in the first round of the Las Vegas Summer League tournament.
Even though they lost, the Lakers had their best game of the summer session. They dropped 86 points, shot 44.3 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line — all bests through four games of Summer League action.
Most notably, the offense looked sharper, and the players looked more decisive. The result was a thrilling shootout, albeit in a losing effort.
Here are three more takeaways from the Los Angeles Lakers’ fourth Summer League game:
Julius Randle shook off another layer of rust
This is the Julius Randle that the Los Angeles Lakers wanted to see.
The forward had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting (5-of-6 from the line), and showed plenty of things to get the team — and fans — excited despite a disappointing showing from the team as a whole.
After watching the Lakers’ Summer League team in the three games that Randle was available, it looks like he will be encouraged to push the ball off of rebounds whenever possible. Along with Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers will have some exciting players to attack in transition.
In the halfcourt, Randle showed his ability to initiate the offense. In his first two games, that often meant putting him in isolation situations and letting him attack.
The result was, at least at times, thrilling to watch, because Randle possesses the ability to destroy opposing bigs off the dribble. However, without the proper counter moves, that ability is muted. Against the Mavericks, Randle showed off a few of his counter-attacks.
The jab step early in this sequence sheds the defender, allowing Randle to demonstrate the improved range we’ve been told he’s gained during his rehab from injury. If he can hit that shot with any sort of consistency, he becomes even more dangerous on the offensive end. The step-back edition of the jumper? Icing on the cake.
One of Randle’s favorite moves so far — as of right now, his “signature move” — has been to attack the basket with a spin move to his left. It’s tough to stop him from getting to his spot due to his combination of size and strength, and if he proves to be able to consistently finish over size, it will be the most deadly move in his offensive arsenal.
Of course, defenders will begin to hedge left in order to cut him off after a few successful attacks. That makes developing a counter-strike pivotal. Randle showed a willingness to drive to the right when defenders set up to shut down his go-to move.
Randle was able to absolutely blow by his defender going right, which will serve him well when the competition gets real.
The degree of difficulty will raise dramatically when the games start to count, but Randle showed an arsenal of moves that should have fans feeling encouraged for his first full season as the power forward of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jabari Brown continues to showcase his potential role
Who needs Lou Williams when you have Jabari Brown?
For the second straight game, Brown was an aggressive force for the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer league team. He followed up his 20-point performance with a 19-point effort, going 6-of-11 from the field (5-of-5 from the line) and splashed in two three-pointers as well.
Even though it’s Summer League — nobody sees Brown having this impact in the regular season — he has shown the mentality of the classic score-happy sixth man. Think in the mold of Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, free agent Nate Robinson, or even the Lakers’ own Lou Williams.
We don’t know if he will develop into that type of player, but he’s shown signs of doing so in Summer League.
If he can develop into even half of the players that I just compared him to, he will be a true asset for the Lakers. His contract is a measly $845,059 this season (per Basketball Insiders), and the Lakers have the right to make him a restricted free agent next offseason.
On the chance that he begins to come into his own as a bench scorer, he could be easy to move, or make it easier to trade one of the other similar players that the Lakers roster.
Tony Mitchell might be worth a training camp invite
Of the lesser-known players on the Los Angeles Lakers’ summer league roster, Tony Mitchell might be the only one worth a look at in training camp.
On offense, Mitchell has shown the ability to hit the open three, and the smarts to know when to cut to the hoop. He plays a position (small forward) where the Lakers could be looking for a useful body at some point.
On defense, he’s impressed with his effort. Wing defense is a premium skill in the modern NBA, and if the Lakers think that Mitchell can develop to a guy that can compete in that realm, they’d be wise to give him a look for their bench.
One guy that can vouch for Mitchell’s defense? Mavericks point guard Kevin Pangos, who Mitchell was switched onto at one point in Wednesday’s game. Pangos tested him, and it didn’t end well for Dallas.
Mitchell is 23 years old, but he is worth a look for the backup small forward mix, especially if the team looks to deal Nick Young before the season.
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