Los Angeles Lakers Summer League Review: The Veterans

Jabari Brown … has a role on the Los Angeles Lakers; if he accepts it.

In most of my Summer Lleague posts, mentions of Brown typically went something like this: “Jabari Brown scored all of the points because the ball is actually glued to his hands.” The kid can score, but man can he be a black hole on offense.

The role of ball-dominant scorer is currently overfilled for the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant will not be denied any shot attempt he demands to take, and Lou Williams will fight Nick Young for whatever scraps are left.

If Brown wants to play as a sixth-man/scorer-type, he may have trouble making the Lakers’ roster.

However, if he embraces his role as a three-point threat off the bench, Brown could prove to be a valuable piece to the Lakers going forward.

In Summer League, Brown shot 38.9 percent from three on 18 attempts over three games. That number is in line with the 37.1 percent he posted from three in 19 games with the Lakers last year.

With potential spacing issues looming with a starting lineup featuring Jordan Clarkson, Kobe Bryant, Julius Randle, and Roy Hibbert, the team could use a bench that features a few three-point threats.

According to NBA Stats, Jabari Brown had a field goal percentage of 45.7 on spot-up jumpers last season. Compare that to Nick Young’s 36.6 percent and Lou Williams’ 38.5 percent (with Toronto), and it’s clear that there is a potential role for Brown on the roster.

Whether he will buy into that role is an entirely different story.

Next: Tarik Black