South Bay Lakers

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Los Angeles Lakers two-way forward Devontae Cacok has been named to the All-NBA G League First Team, the league announced today. Cacok was also named to the NBA G League All-Rookie Team.

In 33 games (two starts) with South Bay, the rookie from UNC Wilmington averaged 19.4 points (.659 FG%), 11.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 23.9 minutes per game. He scored in double-figures in every game and finished the season with 27 double-doubles. Per 36 minutes, Cacok averaged 29.2 points, 17.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Cacok earned an NBA Call-Up when he signed a two-way contract with Los Angeles in December and was named to the Western Conference Midseason All-NBA G League Team in February.

During the MGM Resorts Winter Showcase, Cacok tallied a career-high 32 points (16-24 FG) with 15 rebounds and three assists. He grabbed a career-high 19 boards along with 22 points on December 28 against Northern Arizona. He finished the season with 16 games scoring at least 20-points, including two 30-point outings, and he tallied double-digit rebounds in 27 games, including eight games with at least 15 boards.

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Devontae Cacok Named to All-NBA G League First Team

Joey Ramirez

Malik Newman has never had much issue filling the bucket, and now he’s looking to bring that scoring punch to the Lakers organization.

The combo guard was one of this year’s most sought-after undrafted free agents until he agreed to a two-way contract with the Los Angeles and South Bay Lakers.

Newman was a flamethrower in his lone year at Kansas, receiving distinctions including Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, Big 12 Tournament MVP and NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player.

The 21-year-old earned those honors with the same skill that makes him an interesting prospect for the Lakers: his ability to fill the bucket.

Newman averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds at Kansas, and he took his game to the next level in the postseason.

In eight games at the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments, Newman put up 22.5 points and 3.8 3-pointers, while shooting 52.7 percent from the field and 53.6 percent on 3’s.

This crescendoed with a career performance against Duke in the Elite Eight, when slashed and shot his way to 32 points — including all 13 of Kansas’ in the overtime period.

That win over Duke was an exhibition of the shooting prowess that could make his career in the NBA.

Newman hit 2.2 3-pointers per game at Kansas on a toasty 41.5 percent clip from long distance.

While Newman’s raw numbers are impressive, they become even more so when considering that his shooting ability isn’t hindered by shot type. He’s comfortable hitting from distance off the dribble, off screens and while spotting up.

He might be most dangerous out of pick-and-roll, where he is adept at creating separation for his jumper or hitting the defense with his trademark step-back.

Of course, as with any player spending time in the G League, there are areas that Newman needs to develop.

His scoring ability was never in question at KU, but it took a while for coaches to become satisfied with his focus on the defensive end. However, once he locked in on that side, his overall game flourished as he went on to have his monster postseason.

Newman’s role also had him more concerned about his individual offense, averaging 2.1 assists per game. Whether he can effectively run point for South Bay will be one of the focal points of his first year as a pro.

In the meantime, G League (and perhaps NBA) fans will get to know a pure shooter with a shifty handle.

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Latest Laker: Malik Newman

Alex Caruso is set to join the Lakers for summer league after donning the red, white and blue during USA Basketball’s FIBA World Cup qualifying games this week.

Caruso and the Americans struggled on Thursday, shockingly falling to Mexico, 78-70. The two-way Laker had three steals, but uncharacteristically had only three points against seven turnovers.

But Caruso and co. bounced back in style on Sunday, throttling Cuba, 93-62, to finish with a 5-1 record in qualifying competition.

Caruso was back in floor general mode for this contest, playing 24 turnover-free minutes while pitching in 11 points, including a sizzling crossover into a driving dunk.

The Second Team All-G League selection will not play with the Lakers at this week’s California Cup. Instead, he will join the team for the Las Vegas Summer League, which begins on Saturday night at 8:30 PT against Philadelphia.

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Alex Caruso, Team USA Rout Cuba to Conclude World Cup Qualifiers

Rodrigo Azurmendi

EL SEGUNDO – En la temporada 2017-18, los Lakers cosecharon los frutos de su inversión en las ligas menores como nunca antes.

Tener a los South Bay Lakers jugando y entrenando en su misma sede – el flamante UCLA Health Training Center – y haciéndolo bajo la estructura trazada por Luke Walton le ha permitido al club mayor hacer uso de algunos de sus jugadores a lo largo de la temporada, particularmente cuando las lesiones se convirtieron en un problema sistémico de marzo en adelante.

Si el ascenso de David Nwaba la temporada pasada ya había sido una historia de éxito para el equipo dirigido por Coby Karl (y manejado por Nick Mazzella y Joey Buss), las convocatorias de Travis Wear y Andre Ingram esta campaña fueron la confirmación del gran trabajo que se está haciendo en el equipo de la NBA G League.

“Es para eso, esa es la iniciativa de la G League”, explicó Ingram. “Ese es el propósito, especialmente cuando tienes una organización como esta en la que es uno a uno. Están tan cerca y hay comunicación entre South Bay Lakers y Los Angeles Lakers. Para eso está”.

La sinergia entre los dos equipos es la piedra angular del proyecto.

“Desde jugar la misma ofensiva, el mismo tipo de lenguaje, las mismas metas, los mismos tipos de tiros y el tipo de defensa que quieres jugar”, continuó Ingram. “La meta es hacer que esa transición sea natural. Fue importante para mí y para todos los muchachos. (Nwaba) llegó y lo hizo realmente bien, obviamente Travis llegó y lo hizo extremadamente bien. Y yo fui capaz de tener un poquito de éxito. Hay una razón para eso, me he estado preparando para estar aquí y ascender”.

Alex Caruso y Gary Payton II fueron los jugadores bajo contratos duales que dividieron sus temporadas entre South Bay y los Lakers, y ambos fueron ganando en protagonismo con el correr de los meses.

Caruso le dio estabilidad a la rotación de Walton ante las repetidas lesiones de Lonzo Ball y Brandon Ingram – los responsables principales del manejo del balón. El base describió cuál es la mejor forma de sacar provecho de esa situación.

“Lo más importante cuando estás ahí es enfocarte en lo que tienes que hacer para mejor, especialmente con la gente de South Bay”, dijo. “Nosotros nos enfocamos en eso. Hacemos nuestro trabajo pre-práctica, post-práctica. Hay más tiempo para practicar ya que hay menos juegos, así que puedes trabajar en las distintas cosas que necesitas”.

El producto de Texas A&amp;M citó a Wear como un gran ejemplo de desarrollo.

“Para Travis era defender a jugadores que eran más rápidos que él,  y él mostró jugando en la G League en la selección de Estados Unidos que lo podía hacer, y recibió la convocatoria – y lo hizo bien en la NBA”, señaló. “Se trata de ver qué parte de tu juego debes mejorar y luego trabajar en eso”.

Luego, el intercalar partidos en las dos ligas permite poner a prueba esas mejoras – y medir el progreso.

“La experiencia de juego es la forma más útil de mejorar tu juego”, avisó Caruso. “Jugar en partidos NBA es la única manera que te acostumbras a jugar a esa velocidad y mejorar ese tipo de movimientos, porque es un poco más rápido y los jugadores son un poco más grandes que las posiciones tradicionales. Y luego cuando estoy en la G League puedo trabajar en ciertas cosas que quiero implementar en mi juego – tratar de ser más anotador, de tener una mentalidad más agresiva”.

Wear pudo brillar con su tiro exterior, y mostrar que puede ser parte de una rotación en la NBA. Además, él dijo que disfrutó de jugar en el sistema de Walton, y alabó la capacidad del entrenador para llegarle a sus jugadores.

Algo parecido pasó con Payton II, tras varias temporadas alternando entre la NBA y la G League. El base brilló en el cierre de la temporada ante los Clippers, anotando 25 puntos en 11/19 en tiros de cancha y capturando 12 rebotes.

Él también dijo sentirse cómodo con el sistema de Walton, y mirando a futuro, podría convertirse en una pieza interesante por sus características de defensor atlético y su velocidad para salir en el contragolpe. El hijo de la leyenda de los Seattle SuperSonics (y ex Laker) contó que trabajará este verano en desarrollar su tiro y pulir su manejo del balón.

En líneas generales, todos ellos aportaron su granito de arena para que el equipo llegara a las 35 victorias, y al mismo tiempo ayudaron a elevar la reputación de South Bay – y la apuesta de los Lakers en dicho proyecto.

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South Bay Lakers, una rueda de auxilio en 2017-18

admin

EL SEGUNDO – Los Lakers han firmado al escolta Vander Blue a un contrado dual, según anunció hoy el gerente general Rob Pelinka. Por política del equipo, los términos del vínculo no fueron difundidos.

Blue disputó cinco partidos con los Lakers en la pretemporada y fue una pieza fija en el equipo campeón en la Liga de Verano en Las Vegas.

Por reglas de la NBA, los equipos pueden tener hasta dos jugadores bajo contratos duales en su nómina en cualquier momento, además de los 15 cupos de la nómina de temporada regular. Como un jugador bajo contra dual, Blue puede pasar hasta 45 días con los Lakers, sin incluir el tiempo antes del comienzo del campamento de entrenamientos de South Bay Lakers, o tras la conclusión de la temporada de la G League.

El plantel de los Lakers cuenta ahora con 17 jugadores, con Blue y Alex Caruso bajo contratos duales.

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Lakers firman a Vander Blue a un contrato dual

Recently signed by the Lakers, Vander Blue already has plenty of familiarity with one of his teammates as he prepares for training camp.

Blue and Ivica Zubac not only helped the Lakers to the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League title; they also teamed up on the South Bay Lakers (then-Los Angeles D-Fenders) and made for a particularly devastating combination on Jan. 14.

Once down by 22 against the Canton Charge, Blue and Zubac improbably fueled South Bay to a 122-118 overtime victory.

Zubac was responsible for helping force overtime, as he collected an offensive rebound with 1:20 left and flipped it in for the tie.

With less than a minute left in the extra period he banked in a running floater to take the lead. When Canton answered back, he provided the crowning moment of his NBA G League MVP season.

Blue sized up his defender, utilized a pick and rose up from behind the arc while drawing contact. The ball soared through the air and swished through with 0.5 seconds remaining as teammates swarmed him.

Blue had his own celebration in mind, busting out the Conor McGregor-inspired “Billionaire Strut” before hitting the and-1 free throw to complete the four-point play and ice victory.

“Honestly on that last play I don’t know what was going through me,” Blue laughed. “I had never done the McGregor. I just felt the vibes.”

It was a huge moment to conclude a monster performance for Blue, who dropped 40 points. Blue was on fire from inside and outside of the arc, constantly burning Canton with his pull-up game while shooting 5-of-9 on 3-pointers.

“You never know with Vander,” head coach Coby Karl said. “He’s capable of making basically any shot on the court. He’s one of the best scorers in this league.”

But he did more than just score, managing four assists, four steals and zero turnovers. Two of his dimes went to Zubac, who dominated just hours after playing in the NBA Lakers’ game against the Clippers.

Zubac became the 10th player to ever play in the NBA and NBA G League on the same day, but he had plenty of energy for the doubleheader.

He racked up 20 points and 10 rebounds, while putting his signature shot to good use. Having splashed a hook shot against the Clippers, he saved three more for the game that night.

“I just want to get home and sleep,” said Zubac, who shot 8-of-10 from the field and hit all four of his free throw attempts. “This was a very long day for me. But if it were easy, everybody would do it.”

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Flashback: Blue, Zubac Lead South Bay's Comeback

At the start of last season, Vander Blue had the opportunity to follow the money overseas. But, with his eyes locked on the NBA, he decided it would be worth it to remain in the NBA G League and within the Lakers organization.

Now his vision becomes reality. Three months after being named G League MVP, Blue signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

Blue inked his deal with L.A. on the heels of a successful Summer League that saw him help the Lakers capture the championship in Las Vegas.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pound shooting guard was quiet at first, averaging 9.4 points over his first four games. But Blue turned it on when it was winning time, putting up 20.7 points from the quarterfinals onward.

Blue spent the summer showing off his elite slashing ability, constantly pressuring the paint both in half-court sets and on fast-breaks.

This kind of downhill play is something that has become a familiar sight for G League foes.

Blue averaged 24.8 points during last year’s MVP campaign, primarily through his driving ability and mid-range jumper, though he also hit 35.1 percent of 3-pointers.

Even when he didn’t finish at the basket, he constantly drew contact, leading the NBA G League in made free throws (7.7). This is a focal point of his game, as he led the league in free throw attempts for all three of his seasons with South Bay.

Getting buckets has never been an issue for Blue, who is South Bay’s all-time scoring leader and ranks third in NBA G League history.

Instead, his passing has been more of a question mark. Although he averaged 5.3 assists back in 2014-15, his numbers dipped when South Bay added point guard Josh Magette, who led the league in dimes for both of the last two seasons.

At Summer League, Vander made it a point to show his charitable side.

He had a game-sealing, cross-court assist during the semifinals, then tallied six dimes in the championship matchup.

“I know coming up in the G League it might have seemed like I was a selfish player or just all about myself because of the amount of points I was scoring and the rate I was scoring,” Blue said after the Lakers won the Summer League title, “but my whole life I’ve been about winning and I want to play with winners.”

After that game, Blue vocalized his desire for another shot with the Lakers, having played a couple games with them two years ago — including a 15-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound effort while playing all 48 minutes of the 2015 season finale.

With the summer championship won on his 25th birthday, Blue made his wish clear.

“I pray to God it’s here with the Lakers,” Blue said, “but we’ll see what happens in the next couple days.”

He had to wait a bit longer, but Blue’s opportunity is now here. Training camp is a month away, but Blue has been preparing three years for it.

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Latest Laker: Vander Blue

The South Bay Lakers might have a new name, but the team itself has been an expanding part of the organization for more than a decade.

Renamed after their Los Angeles region that includes their El Segundo stomping grounds, the South Bay Lakers are looking to continue increasing the standard of NBA affiliate teams.

In particular, recent success has bolstered South Bay’s importance to its parent club, as the Los Angeles Lakers boast one of the most decorated affiliates in the NBA G League.

What have they done?
The last two seasons have seen the South Bay Lakers — formerly known as the Los Angeles D-Fenders — rise to the top of the NBA G League.

The 2016 campaign ended with a trip to the Finals, where the team came just one win short of the championship. They won the Pacific Division the following season before falling in the playoff quarterfinals.

And while President Joey Buss and General Manager Nick Mazzella have built a roster made to chase titles, the South Bay Lakers have an even more important task of helping develop NBA talent.

They have done just that. Jordan Clarkson averaged 22.6 points and 7.8 assists in the NBA G League before getting an opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers during his rookie season.

Ivica Zubac spent a large part of his rookie year refining his 3-point shooting and defense with South Bay, putting up 15.8 points and 9.7 rebounds.

Plus, South Bay offered minutes to former Lakers like Jordan Farmar, Tarik Black and Anthony Brown.

Perhaps even more impressively, South Bay has been extremely successful at finding hidden talent and developing those players into NBA call-up candidates.

Vander Blue was named 2017 NBA G League MVP after putting up 24.8 points per game on his way to becoming the franchise’s all-time scoring leader.

Josh Magette led the league in assists for back-to-back seasons (2015-17), which earned him a two-way contract with the Atlanta Hawks.

Justin Harper was called up in back-to-back years by Detroit (2016) and Philadelphia (2017), while David Nwaba was molded into a call-up for the Los Angeles Lakers, spending 20 games with the parent team before later signing with Chicago.

Even those off the court have found climbed their way into the NBA ranks. Former head coach Casey Owens is now a Los Angeles Lakers assistant, while former head athletic trainer Nina Hsieh is now the assistant to L.A. trainer Marco Nuñez.

Even Lakers head coach Luke Walton has roots to South Bay, where he served as a player development coach by day and Spectrum SportsNet analyst by night during the 2013-14 season.

What’s Next?
Under the direction of Magic Johnson, Rob Pelinka and Luke Walton, the South Bay Lakers have become even more intertwined with their parent club.

Joey Buss, head coach Coby Karl and the rest of the South Bay staff are frequent faces at Lakers practices and were especially involved during the pre-draft process while doing some scouting for their own team.

The 2017-18 season will be a groundbreaking one for South Bay, which will begin play at the UCLA Health Training Center — a 120,000-square foot facility that will serve as headquarters for both  the L.A. and South Bay Lakers.

With a 750-person capacity, the UCLA Health Training Center will allow crowds double the size of South Bay’s previous venue.

In addition to watching players that could end up on the Lakers or other NBA teams, fans can also expect to see performances by the Laker Girls and the occasional appearance of those like Luke Walton, Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle, who have been known to frequent South Bay games.

Meanwhile, the product on the court is promising.

South Bay figures to have several players who helped the Lakers capture the 2017 Summer League title, including Alex Caruso, who signed a two-way contract with the organization.

Under this new deal, Caruso will be able to spend 45 days with the NBA Lakers while also shuttling to the South Bay squad during the G League season.

The Lakers also have another two-way contract at their disposal, which means that South Bay could be trotting out two L.A. Lakers this season, in addition to the likelihood that a few rookies get sent their way for more development.