Getty Randy Mims and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers attend a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League.
Despite having to wait at least another day on the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, the Lakers get to kick off their Vegas Summer League tour with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls. Just a short drive from Los Angeles, the Vegas Summer League has often been frequented by the NBA’s elite (and Laker elite in particular) looking to keep an eye on their younger teammates as they rest up and enjoy their offseason.
This year should be no different as although the Lakers only have five players currently signed, the vast majority of those should be in attendance for the Lakers’ first Vegas Showdown.
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LeBron James, Anthony Davis & Kyle Kuzma Expected At Vegas Summer League Opener
Along with the more notable three Lakers expected to attend, Jared Dudley is also expected to be in attendance at the Vegas Summer League game – meaning every Laker with a contract excpet Troy Daniels should be at the game. LeBron made waves by attending Summer League last season and the pairing of him and Anthony Davis together on the sidelines in Vegas (if they both end up going) could potentially overshadow the actual game.
While the Lakers’ 2019 Summer League squad doesn’t offer the star power of last year’s squad, they are coming off an impressive comeback win against the Sacramento Kings and look to be a scrappy bunch of players capable of staying in most games. While they were blown out by the Heat in their first matchup, they rebounded nicely and made some quality adjustments on the defensive end that have helped tremendously moving forward.
Lakers Las Vegas Summer League Preview
The Lakers roll into Summer League play headlined by rookie Zach Norvell Jr. from Gonzaga. Signed to a two-way deal, Norvell has quickly established himself as the primary scoring option on the Summer League squad as he has shown to be effective at both draining the deep ball and getting himself to the basket for quality looks.
Devontae Cacok and Jordan Howard are two of the other players who stood out during the California Classic. While Cacok made his presence felt in every game as a high-energy (undersized) big off the bench, Howard didn’t get his opportunity to shine until the final game when his offensive onslaught in the fourth quarter helped will the Lakers back from a 21 point deficit.
Talen Horton-Tucker is also (hopefully) expected to make his presence felt in Summer League as he looks to be cleared by team doctors for action. The Lakers only draft pick, 46th overall, Horton-Tucker projects to be a big-bodied guard capable of doing a little bit of everything. Considered one of the steals of the second round, the Lakers and their fans are hoping to get a first look at the intriguing prospect tonight.