Season Recap 2223

Darius Soriano

2022-23 Season Summary:Playing on a two-way contract in his rookie season, Cole Swider made seven appearances for the Lakers but spent most of the year playing in the G-League for South Bay where he made 27 appearances -- including 19 as a starter. Swider came into this campaign known as a high-level shooter and lived up to his reputation, burying 43.6% of his three-pointers and 50.6% of his shots overall en route to scoring 17.1 points a game as a floor-spacing, stretch power forward who also added 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists a game.

By The Numbers:119.5: Offensive Rating of the South Bay Lakers when Swider was on the court this season, the second-best mark of any player on the team. While team offensive rating is never only about a single individual, Swider's shot making and floor spacing clearly helped South Bay's offense play to a strong level whenever he was on the floor.

89: Number of three-pointers Swider made in his 27 games with South Bay, tied for the 9th most in the G-League this season. Of the 10 players who hit the most threes this year, Swider's 43.6% shooting from behind the arc was the second-best percentage.

52.5%: Percentage of corner three-pointers Swider hit this season with South Bay. While Swider's shooting translated all over the floor, nowhere was he more prolific than from the corners.

Moving Forward:Swider spent this past season proving capable of being a knock down shooter and, at 6'9" and 220 pounds, that sort of marksmanship at that size is a quality that will always have value. In order to find an avenue towards a more consistent role and an eventual full-time spot in the NBA, Swider will need to continue to hit shots, but also prove his focus can shift to making strides as a team defender that leverages his size and instincts for how offenses operate into being in the correct positions and making the right rotations on the other side of the floor.

cole-swider-2023-lakers-player-capsule

Cole Swider 2023 Lakers Player Capsule

2022-23 Season Summary:Scotty Pippen Jr., playing on a two-way contract for the Lakers, spent the majority of this past season in a developmental role in the G-League, making 19 appearances for the South Bay Lakers and an additional six appearances for the Lakers during the regular season. In a mostly lead-guard role for South Bay, Pippen Jr. made four starts and averaged 21.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 46.9% shooting from the field and 30.0% from behind the arc.

By The Numbers:53.8%: Percentage Pippen Jr. shot in the clutch for South Bay this season. Pippen Jr. led the team in clutch points per game this season, helping South Bay to a 7-5 record in the 12 clutch games he appeared in this season.

21.4: Points averaged per game by Pippen Jr. for South Bay, leading the team. A key driver of his scoring punch was the 9.8 points in the paint scored per game.

1.6: Steals averaged per game by Pippen for South Bay, tied for the 8th best mark in the G-League.

Moving Forward:Pippen Jr. made his mark as a scoring and playmaking guard who also flashed some on-ball defensive potential for South Bay this past season. As he continues to grow in his career and looks to make the leap to a more regular contributor at the NBA level, Pippen Jr. will need to bridge his on-ball efforts as a scorer and shot creator with more off-ball work where he is more of a complementary player to higher usage creators found at the top levels of the league.

scotty-pippen-jr-2023-lakers-player-capsule

Scotty Pippen Jr. 2023 Lakers Player Capsule

Mike Trudell

2022-23 Season Summary:Acquired by the Lakers from Orlando in a trade deadline deal, Mo Bamba’s impact in Los Angeles was limited by an ankle injury that kept him to only nine appearances in Purple and Gold, plus 11 total minutes in the playoffs. The 7’0’’ center did flash some of the skills that made him appealing as a trade target, with his somewhat rare combination of rim protection (1.3 career blocks per game) and 3-point shooting (38.7% for the season). Bamba played more than 20 minutes only twice, but was impactful each time, scoring 10 points with 13 boards vs. Golden State (Feb. 23) plus 12 points with 7 boards at OKC (March 1) before the high ankle sprain on March 5.

By The Numbers:98:&nbsp;Total minutes played for the Lakers.&nbsp;

19.2:&nbsp;Bamba’s rebound percentage – the percentage of boards he grabbed while on the court – besting Anthony Davis’s 17.7, if in a very limited sample size.&nbsp;

4: Bamba’s season high in 3-pointers made, on 11/18 while still in Orlando; his Lakers high of 3 came on March 1.

Moving Forward:At age 25, the former No. 6 overall pick by Orlando in 2018 took a bit of a step back in 2022-23, as he’d started 69 of 71 games the prior season, but just seven of his 49 games this year, losing 10 minutes of playing time per game. Bamba did manage to slightly increase his shooting efficiency both overall (48.5% up from 48.0%) and from three (38.7% up from 38.1%), with his rebounding and blocked shots decreased a tad per 36 minutes relative to the year prior. The New York City native is better off the ball than on it as a defender, and primarily picked and popped on offense. Bamba’s talent remains plenty enticing; can he bring a more consistent level of improvement and production to the table after a strong offseason? If so, there are many teams – the Lakers included – that can use a rim-protecting big that can space the floor on the other end.

end-of-season-interviews-mo-bamba-5-23-23

End of Season Interviews - Mo Bamba (5-23-23)

mo-bamba-2022-23-season-highlights

Mo Bamba 2022-23 Season Highlights

mo-bamba-2023-lakers-player-capsule

Mo Bamba 2023 Lakers Player Capsule

lalpsnowden

2022-23 Season Summary:In his rookie NBA campaign, Max Christie split his time between the G-League with the South Bay Lakers and the main squad, acquitting himself well in both environments. In 13 appearances for South Bay, Christie averaged 14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 29 minutes a night. And while he did not get as many minutes with the big club, Christie made 41 appearances -- including three starts -- and flashed good ability as a role player capable of knocking down open shots, defending multiple positions on the wing, and rebounding well from the guard position. Christie's best month of the season came in January where he made two of his three starts and shot 51.1% from the field overall and 44.4% from behind the arc while playing just over 17 minutes a night.

By The Numbers:41.9%: Percentage Christie shot on the 62 three-pointers he attempted this regular season. That number jumped to 47.8% on shots the NBA considers "open" (defender 4-6 feet away) and was an even 40.0% on catch-and-shoot opportunities.

40.0%: Percentage of shots Christie converted within five feet of the rim. In contrast to the success rate on his outside shot, Christie was not as good when finishing amongst the trees inside.

12.6%: Percentage of defensive rebounds Christie grabbed when he was on the floor. While this isn't one of the highest numbers you can find for a guard, Christie showed strong rebounding instincts in his rookie season, attacking the glass with force and strong fundamentals to elevate high and secure the ball with two-hands.

Moving Forward:As one of the youngest players in the NBA this past season -- he didn't turn 20 until February -- Christie's rookie season was one of true developmental growth for him as he spent most of the year working on the fundamentals of his game, getting his body more NBA ready, and absorbing as much information as he could from veterans like LeBron James and Anthony Davis throughout the season. Heading into the offseason, Christie can use what he's learned to springboard him into a summer where he can refine his craft, put those practice reps to work in games during summer league, and then use those experiences to prepare to compete for a rotation spot when training camp begins. At 6'6" and nearly 200 pounds -- while still getting stronger and adding muscle as he grows into his frame -- Christie offers strong positional size and will look to make a leap in his 2nd season where he can potentially contribute as an even more polished 3-and-D player who can complement the team's higher usage players with his shot making and defensive competitiveness.

end-of-season-interviews-max-christie-5-23-23

End of Season Interviews - Max Christie (5-23-23)

max-christie-2022-23-season-highlights

Max Christie 2022-23 Season Highlights

max-christie-2023-lakers-player-capsule

Max Christie 2023 Lakers Player Capsule

2022-23 Season Summary:In his second season with the Lakers, Wenyen Gabriel proved to be a capable backup big, with rebounding his standout skill especially on the offensive end. An always-working, constantly-hustling 6’9’’ forward, Gabriel was efficient at the rim, shooting 59.6% overall, while hitting 10 of the 36 3’s he attempted (27.8%). Gabriel ran the floor well, helping the Lakers in transition, and added 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals in his 15.1 minutes per game, translating to 1.2 and 0.9 per 36 minutes. Gabriel appeared in 68 games, a new career high, up significantly from 30 in his rookie season of 2019-20.

By The Numbers:15.7: Offensive rebounding percentage for Gabriel in the playoffs, No. 1 on the Lakers, more than double No. 2 Jarred Vanderbilt’s 7.4%; in the regular season, his 11.1% also led the team, though Anthony Davis was close (10.2%).

13.1: Points per 36 minutes averaged by Gabriel, who has good hands on catches going to the rim, and is a strong finisher with soft touch around the hoop with both hands.

0.0: Net rating prior to the All-Star break, one of only five Lakers that weren’t in the negative to that point.

Moving Forward:A free agent heading into the summer, Gabriel showed that there’s a place for him in the NBA, as the 25-year-old consistently gave his best effort in an athletic frame that produced in needed areas for his team. Gabriel worked to improve his perimeter shooting to address a weakness and try to expand his game, though attempts were limited; that remains an area for offseason progress to be made. The big man of South Sudanese descent did indeed play with terrific energy, but that at times translated to overzealous fouling on defense. Slight improvement in those areas could lead to another stage in his career, building upon his rebounding and athleticism.