For all of the talent they had on their roster for the NBA Summer League, there is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers disappointed. Despite having rookie No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell, Jordan Clarkson and last year’s first-round pick Julius Randle on the team, the Lakers managed to win just one of their five games. However, despite the disappointing results, there were still a handful of bright spots for Los Angeles.
Here is a look at what fantasy general managers have been keeping an eye on, which is the four Lakers that stood out:
Julius Randle
Power Forward
Most fans expected Randle to look extremely rusty after returning from the broken leg that he suffered in his NBA debut last season but that wasn’t the case at all as he looked as explosive as ever. Randle averaged 11.5 points and four rebounds in four Summer League games.
More important than his statistics was his strength on the ball and ability to make plays under the rim. Randle looks like a stronger Lamar Odom and if he can stay healthy this season, he could be in for a big year as he plays an integral role in the Lakers offense. While his stats don’t look that impressive, remember that he was on a minutes restriction in Summer League action. He has a clear path to heavy playing time during the season, so he’s one of the guys you’ll want to own on this team.
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D’Angelo Russell
Point Guard
Los Angeles turned some heads with the selection of Russell at No. 2 but there is no doubt that it was the right move to make and he finished the NBA Summer League with a bang as he scored 21 points on 10-for-20 shooting in the finale. Russell averaged 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists in the tournament and while he still has a lot of work to do to become an elite player at the NBA level, Lakers’ fans have to be thrilled about his potential after he stood out once again in NBA Summer League play. What fantasy GM’s have to like even more was hearing head coach Byron Scott imply that Russell will be a starter next season.
Jordan Clarkson
Point Guard
Clarkson dominated for Los Angeles down the stretch last season when he averaged 16.7 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds over the final 28 regular season games. He didn’t need to prove himself in Summer League but he still played and continued his development. Clarkson averaged 16.8 points and 3.6 rebounds in NBA Summer League play and while the selection of Russell at No. 2 likely pushes him to the bench, that isn’t exactly a bad thing.
It’s no secret that 36-year-old Kobe Bryant has had trouble staying healthy over the past couple of seasons and isn’t the player that he once was. Having another solid backcourt option along with Russell only helps the Lakers. Fantasy GM’s can expect Clarkson to still play about 30 minutes again, which is quite a significant role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzlNBNodtPI
Jabari Brown
Shooting Guard
The undrafted sophomore missed the final two games of NBA Summer League play after suffering an eye laceration but he did enough when he was on the floor to impress. Brown averaged 17.7 points in three games and the Lakers brass has to be happy that he continues to show a nose for the basket. He averaged 11.9 points per game as a rookie last season but remember that he only started five games. He spend most of the time in the D-League where he led all players in scoring. The 22-year-old’s role will largely be determined by Kobe’s health this season but basketball fans in Los Angeles have to be happy that they were able to lock up Brown as an undrafted free agent as he clearly has the potential to develop in to a valuable depth scorer off the bench.
