16summerleague

Joey Ramirez

It was an eventful two weeks in Las Vegas for the Lakers, as the team’s young core wrapped up Summer League and USA Basketball training camp. Lakers.com’s Mike Trudell and Joey Ramirez both covered the team in Vegas and now discuss the biggest takeaways from the desert, including how D’Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram played against the U.S. National Team.

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Popcorn Machine: USA Camp and Summer League

LAS VEGAS — For the past two weeks, the young core of the purple and gold have essentially been the Las Vegas Lakers.

Since arriving in Nevada on July 7, D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram have put their skills on display at both the Las Vegas Summer League and USA Basketball training camp, with Julius Randle joining them for the latter event.

Naturally, General Manager Mitch Kupchak oversaw his players’ performances during both weeks.

Kupchak sees the value in his young trio learning from five-time champion Gregg Popovich, who is the head coach of the USA Select Team. However, despite also getting to scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic Team, Kupchak acknowledged that there is only so much that they can gain from the four-day camp that concluded Thursday.&lt;/p

“It’s kind of mixed results in what you can expect in four days,” Kupchak said. “It’s not like they’re preparing for the Olympics. What they’re doing is being exposed to a great coach and his system. It’s an honor and they get to play against each other and, of course, the great competition that the Olympic team is.

“So I’m not sure if it’s going to lead to an experience that’s equal to maybe four to six weeks under Coach Popovich, but whenever you can spend any time with a coach like that it’s to be appreciated.”

Russell found himself at the center of both Summer League — where he averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists — and USA camp, where he was one of the most active participants in scrimmages and games of one-on-one.

It was a display of growth for a player whose 11.8 points on 37.7 percent shooting underwhelmed at Summer League last year. Kupchak sees Russell’s success in Vegas as  a symbol for the improvement that he expects from Ingram, who also had a slow start to his rookie season at Summer League this year.

“I think this summer was night and day compared to last summer (for Russell),” Kupchak said. “I think Brandon’s summer will be night and day to this year, and that’s just the progress of the young player. If they all continue to work — Julius and Brandon and D’Angelo — then I would expect a year from now that they’re all going to be a lot better than they are today.”

While the three former lottery picks all received plenty of attention for playing on the Select Team, Kupchak also found himself impressed by a 19-year-old Croatian whom he drafted in the second round.

Kupchak said that he “quite frankly” didn’t expect Ivica Zubac to play as well as he did at Summer League, where he affected both sides of the floor with 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and a 64.7 field goal percentage.

Zubac’s week struck Kupchak even more considering that he was unable to practice much leading into Summer League due to his contract’s paperwork needing to be finalized.

“He really only had one practice under his belt, and expectations were very low,” Kupchak said. “But once again, he’s a young player that’s gonna need time to develop as well. But I think he’s a little bit ahead of what we thought.”

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Kupchak Evaluates Lakers' Performances at USA Camp, Summer League

A 3-0 start at the Las Vegas Sumer League warranted plenty for the Lakers to be excited about and, despite back-to-back losses to end the week, the final two games also allowed individual players to flaunt some of their game.

In particular, Los Angeles’ starting five made the most of its time in Las Vegas, as the Lakers’ rookies and sophomores flashed some potential that the team hopes they can build upon in the regular season.

D’Angelo Has Made Strides
D’Angelo Russell provided the highlight of Summer League by draining a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer against Philadelphia, but his performance was much more than the one shot and “ice in my veins” celebration that followed.

The 20-year-old proved to be clearly more talented than his summer competition, as he averaged 21.8 points on 47.7 percent shooting with 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists before resting during Friday’s consolation game against Utah.

While Russell’s numbers are impressive on their own, the variety of ways that he reached them were even more so. He showed off a refined post-up game, while also thriving in pick-and-rolls with Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac. When the defense gave him too much space, he simply rose up from 3-point range, where he shot 10-of-25 (40.0 percent).

Simply, Russell — who will stay in Vegas for USA Basketball’s four-day training camp — looked like a completely different player than the one who put up 11.8 points on 37.7 percent shooting at last year’s Summer League.

Ingram Shows Flashes
Last year, Russell struggled at Summer League until scoring 21 points in the finale against Utah. It was a case of deja vu for the Lakers, as this year’s No. 2 pick, Brandon Ingram, went through a similar experience before dropping 22 on the Jazz in the last game.

After a solid 12-point, two-block debut in which he affected the game on both ends with his shooting and length, Ingram fell into a three-game slump that saw him shoot just 7-of-29. During this stretch, Ingram’s outside shot simply wasn’t falling and he was unable to finish off drives to the hoop or locate open shooters.

However, with Russell resting and Nance injured during Friday’s finale, Ingram took advantage of his opportunity as the team’s primary weapon. The 18-year-old’s 22-point display was a model of efficiency, as he shot 9-of-13 from the field while scoring in a variety of ways; be it on a couple of turnaround jumpers in the paint, a pair of 3-pointers or some pull-up jumpers.

He also showed really nice vision as the pick-and-roll ball handler, which helped him finish with four assists.

Zublocka Can Ball
Not much was known about No. 33 pick Ivica Zubac before he suited up at Summer League, but he certainly left an impression after solid performances in all five games.

The 7-foot-1 Croatian averaged 10.6 points on 64.7 percent shooting with 7.2 rebounds, and, like Ingram, saved his best for the final day. Against Utah, he reached a double-double with 16 points on 8-of-14 shootings and 11 rebounds, including six on the offensive glass. But his biggest contribution was on the defensive end, where the man known as “Zublocka” swatted six shots.

Zubac said that his family and friends back in Croatia woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch him play in his first taste of NBA basketball, and they surely weren’t disappointed. Offensively, he surprised with how polished his post game looked and with how smoothly he hit his mid-range jumper.

Add in a blend of power and nimbleness out of pick-and-rolls and the result was 1.20 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports Tech, which led all second-rounders and trailed only Jakob Poeltl among rookies.

Larry’s Wrist Will Be OK
The biggest scare of the week came in the final minute of Thursday’s loss to Cleveland, when Nance took a hard fall and landed on his right wrist. X-rays immediately after suggested that he had fractured it, but — after seeing a hand specialist in L.A. the next day — the Lakers announced that it was only a sprain, thus allowing Nance a much quicker path to recovery.

The news was especially good to hear after Nance played such a vital role in Las Vegas. Showing off an improved jumper, he scored double figures in three of his four games, including when he notched a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Cavaliers.

However, Nance’s  shining moment came five days earlier when he energized L.A.’s comeback over the 76ers. The 23-year-old tallied 13 points, eight rebounds and four rebounds, but changed the course of the game with his defensive versatility, as he racked up seven steals and four blocks.

AB Leads the Defensive End
Anthony Brown entered Summer League with the goal of proving himself as the Lakers’ top defender, and he certainly made his case. He began the week by shutting down Wooden Award winner Buddy Hield, who shot just 5-of-20 overall and 1-of-8 from 3-point range with Brown as his primary defender.

Opposing shooting guards struggled against Brown throughout the event, as Hield, Nik Stauskas, Patrick McCaw and Marcus Paige combined to go 14-of-49 (28.6 percent). Unfortunately for the Lakers, the only one to have much success against Brown was the one that eliminated them from the tournament, as Jordan McRae exploded for 36 points on a 12-of-22 clip to lead the Cavs’ come-from-behind win.

Despite his defensive prowess, Brown — who shot just 31.0 percent during the regular season — still couldn’t find his own shot, averaging 7.0 points on a 36.1 percent mark. He did, however, show his stuff at the 11th hour, scoring 12 of his 15 points against Utah in the final quarter.

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Biggest Takeaways from Summer League

Larry Nance Jr. was back in Los Angeles having his sprained wrist examined. D’Angelo Russell was resting in preparation for USA Basketball training camp on Monday. Even Summer League Head Coach Jesse Mermuys had the night off.

Still, the Lakers managed to battle down to the final possession thanks to sterling performances from their 2016 draft class.

Brandon Ingram erupted for 22 points, five rebounds and four assists, while Ivica Zubac piled up 16 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks during the Lakers’ 92-88 loss to Utah in a consolation game at the Las Vegas Summer League.

Ingram, who had struggled at Summer League before breaking out in the finale against the Jazz, looked particularly sharp on offense, shooting 9-of-13 from the field while hitting from all over the floor, including on a few turnaround jumpers.

With Russell watching from the sidelines, Ingram even took over as one of the team’s secondary ball handlers.

“We wanted to keep him aggressive, get him the ball on the block and at the elbows — areas we felt that he he was comfortable,” said Theo Robertson, who filled in for Mermuys. “And he was able to knock some shots down. We were also pleased with his ability to playmake down there.

“He didn’t force anything when he got in the paint and he drew two (defenders) and was able to drop to some of our bigs or kick out to shooters.”

Ingram had averaged just 9.8 points on 31.6 percent shooting at Summer League prior to this breakout. He was particularly cold entering on a three-game slump that saw him hit just 7-of-29.

Despite ending on a crescendo, Ingram had a tempered evaluation of his performance in Vegas.

“It was OK,” Ingram said. “I think as a player you’re never satisfied. I think I could have shot the ball a lot better, and on the defensive end I could have been a lot better.”

Meanwhile, Zubac continued to wow in his first week of competitive American basketball.

His double-double was efficient on the offensive end, where he shot 8-of-14; game-changing on the defensive end, where he locked down the paint with his six pack of swats; and crucial on the boards, where he handed the Lakers more possessions with six offensive rebounds.

“I’m still trying to figure out how he went in the second round,” Anthony Brown said. “Two or three years, I can’t see why he can’t be like Marc Gasol. I mean seriously, he’s talented.”

While the 19-year-old clearly isn’t currently on the same level as Gasol — the former Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-NBA selection that Zubac considers his basketball idol — he put on a show at Summer League.

Zubac’s family and friends back in Croatia woke up at 4:30 a.m. to watch him play in Vegas, and they weren’t disappointed, as he averaged 10.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23.2 minutes.

“I knew I was going to let everybody see what I have and prove myself (for) why they picked me,” Zubac said. “But I didn’t know I was gonna play like this.”

Missed It By That Much
The Lakers led for the majority of the first half, but the Jazz used a 28-19 third quarter to take control down the stretch. However, the Lakers held tough behind Ingram and Zubac.

Down by three with 9.3 seconds left, Los Angeles inbounded to Ingram, who was unable to get an open look. Eventually the ball found its way to Anthony Brown.

The sophomore scored a dozen points in the final quarter but his game-tying triple was well off the mark, as the Lakers ended Summer League with a 3-2 record after falling to Cleveland the night before in the tournament round of 16.

No. 52 pick Joel Bolomboy led the way for Utah with 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Dionte Christmas and Spencer Butterfield supported him with matching 14-point games and 4-of-6 clips.

Notes
Robertson is a coach on Luke Walton’s staff who will focus primarily on player development. …
Brown had his best game of Summer League with 15 points and six rebounds, but shot just 5-of-13. … Xavier Munford (11 points, 3-of-11) and Zach Auguste (two points, 1-of-4) started for Russell and Nance, respectively. … Russell will be joined by Ingram and Julius Randle at the four-day USA camp to help the U.S. Men’s National Team prepare for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

16summerleague

Popcorn Machine: USA Camp and Summer League

Kupchak Evaluates Lakers' Performances at USA Camp, Summer League

Biggest Takeaways from Summer League

Ingram, Zubac Shine Despite Loss In Summer League Finale

Postgame: Brandon Ingram (7/15/16)

Postgame: Iviac Zubac (7/15/16)

Postgame: Anthony Brown (7/15/16)

Postgame: Theo Robertson (7/15/16)