Los Angeles Lakers: 5 takeaways from 2018 NBA Summer League
By Dan Lovi
1. Josh Hart is ready to contribute in a big way
Despite a horrendous championship game, the 2018 NBA Summer League belonged to Josh Hart.
The second-year guard finished the last game of summer with 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting, including zero makes on six 3-point attempts. He also spent the last five minutes of the game watching from the locker room, after arguing with a referee and getting ejected.
Even though Hart would like to forget the last game, he earned the Summer League MVP award and was the third-leading scorer of the tournament. He averaged 22.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game.
During the 2017-18 season, Hart suited up for 63 games and averaged 7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He also led the Lakers in 3-point percentage at 39.6 percent.
Barring an injury, Hart’s averages should go up across the board this year. He could even battle Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the starting shooting guard spot. According to Rob Pelinka, LeBron James is the only guaranteed starter heading into next season.
Rob Pelinka reiterates the fact there will be four open spots in the starting lineup with LeBron James being the only obvious lock to start #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) July 11, 2018
If Hart competes in training camp the same way he did in summer, he could very well supplant KCP as the starting 2-guard.
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Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Hart’s performance in Summer League has earned him more minutes and a bigger role in the upcoming season.