Maxwell Lewis, Blake Hinson and the Lakers aim to nab their first summer win.
The summer Lakers are back at it on Sunday as they take on the Golden State Warriors on day two of the California Classic tournament. L.A. hopes to bounce back after falling short to the Sacramento Kings in their first exhibition game.
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: 3:30 p.m. PT, July 7
Where: Chase Center
Watch: NBA TV, Spectrum Sportsnet
The Lakers’ first summer game against the Kings didn’t yield the final result they wanted, but at the very least, there were notable individual performances that they could take away from it. The team will have to play significantly better than they did in their debut to claim their first win of the summer against the Warriors, who are coming off a dominant 38-point victory on their home floor against the Miami Heat.
Wins and losses don’t matter as much in the California Classic, but more so in the gradual progress these young players make over the next few weeks. Here are the three storylines to follow ahead of day two of the summer games:
It didn’t take long for the 40th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to show how much progress he’s made over the last year. Lewis looked way more comfortable, spry and experienced on the court.
He scored L.A.’s first six points and finished the game with 14 on 6-13 shooting in 25 minutes. It’s not too early to say that Lewis’ time in the G-League last season has done wonders for him from the development standpoint and that’s why he will be one of the main guys on this Lakers summer team moving forward. Let’s see if the sophomore can continue to build off his solid start.
The Lakers’ rookies missed a lot of shots combined in their debuts, but that’s relatively normal. It’s not ideal to judge their performance on simply one game alone, as this was Knecht and James’ opportunity to get their feet wet and adjust to a different type of setting. The same thing happened to Jalen Hood-Schfino and Lewis last season.
Knecht shot 1-4 from the three-point line and 3-14 overall from the field but didn’t allow his shooting struggles to affect his aggression. The rookie out of Tennessee still scored 12 points thanks to his ability to get downhill and embrace contact.
He has his flaws defensively, which he’ll have to work on as the competition gets tougher in the next few weeks.
As for Bronny, who had the spotlight on him for most of the night, he finished the game with 4 points on 2-9 shooting from the field in 21 minutes. What stood out from the USC product’s performance, though, was his basketball instincts.
Bronny can already read the defense, make the right play and pass, and push the pace. He must make his 3-pointers moving forward if he wants to play a huge role in this Lakers summer team.
In their first game, Blake Hinson and Tommy Kuhse ended up as the top two scorers of the team, with 17 and 15 points, respectively.
Hinson, who is currently signed on a two-way contract with the Lakers, was the purple and gold’s best 3-point shooter, while Kuhse — who is already drawing comparisons to former fan favorite Alex Caruso — stood out with eight assists.
Now, seeing who else stands out for this summer Lakers squad moving forward will be interesting.
Colin Castleton had 11 points and 10 rebounds and played well, but it’s a matter of consistency for him this summer. The likes of Armel Traore, another two-way contract signee, also made his presence felt, so he’s another player to look out for.
Collectively, the Lakers will have to play better defense against the Warriors. They can’t give up 21 fast break points and allow them to shoot 61.9% from the field like they did against the Kings. They’ll have to do a better job containing Daeqwon Plowden and Ethan Thompson, who combined for 53 points against the Heat.
You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.
