Getty Terance Mann of the LA Clippers and Devontae Cacok of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite stumbling to an 0-2 start at the Las Vegas Summer League, the Lakers have seen some real promise from a few of their young players. While two-way signee Zach Norvell Jr. has turned heads with his scoring output, big man Devontae Cacok is making a real impact off the bench. While yet to be named a starter in any of the Lakers’ Summer League games, Cacok has consistently found himself playing down the stretch and has been a crucial component to the Lakers’ second unit – which has performed significantly better than the starters.
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Lakers’ Summer League Standout Devontae Cacok Making Case For Roster Spot
Devontae Cacok doing what he does best
#LakeShow (📺: ESPN)
Despite lacking the ideal height to play down low (6’7″), Cacok has an incredibly high motor and does a good job of using his elite athletic gifts to overcome his physical limitations. While his high motor sometimes leads him to play with a bit of reckless abandon, Cacok has intangible gifts you simply cannot teach and regularly makes impact plays on both ends of the basketball court.
Especially in today’s NBA where big men need to be athletic and versatile, Cacok’s ability to rebound, run the floor in transition, and roll to the rim could make him an extremely valuable small-ball center. Cacok’s length and speed give him the potential to be a dangerous defensive weapon as he has repeatedly shown the ability to cover quicker guards out on the perimeter – something extremely important as offenses increasingly try to create defensive mismatches via the pick and roll.
While not necessarily a finished enough product to receive a full-fledged roster spot with the NBA team, the Lakers would be wise to look into giving Cacok their last remaining two-way deal and giving him some minutes down in South Bay this season. This way, Cacok could get the best of both worlds as he could continue his on-court development in the G-League while getting some reps in with an NBA team loaded with high-caliber veteran frontcourt players to learn from.
Lakers Summer League Preview vs. Golden State Warriors
The Lakers picked up their first Summer League win in the California Classic over the Warriors. However, this version of the Warriors should look a bit different without Jimmer Fredette. Jordan Poole and Jacob Evans have stepped up in the missing guard’s place and provided some excellent offensive production in the Warriors last Summer League showdown with the Raptors.
If the Lakers want to pick up another win over these Warriors, they need a big defensive night from their backcourt as well as continued strong play from Devontae Cacok and a healthy return for Zach Norvell Jr. – who is nursing a day-to-day injury. The rest of the Lakers have lacked consistency and without a draft pick on their roster, the pair of rookie UDFA’s have led the way for the baby Lakers thus far.