Away from the NBA spotlight, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ G League affiliate, Coachella Valley, faced rivals the San Diego Clippers on Monday night.
Coachella Valley secured a 124-110 victory, improving to 2-0 on the season, with the two teams scheduled to meet again on Tuesday.
However, the biggest takeaway from the contest was the standout performance of Lakers two-way guard Chris Manon, who delivered one of the most impressive outings of his young professional career.
Lakers Two-Way Guard Chris Manon Erupts for Career-High 32 Points
Manon enjoyed a dominant performance, recording a career-high 32 points and 13 rebounds in 36 minutes.
The 24-year-old shot 10-of-19 from the field, including two three-pointers, while converting all five of his free-throw attempts.
Five of his 13 rebounds came on the offensive glass, while he also contributed one assist, one steal and two blocks in an impressive all-around showing.
His 32-point performance surpassed his previous career-high of 31 points, which he recorded against the Valley Suns in November 2025.
The standout outing continues an encouraging start to the season for Manon, who recorded 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in Coachella Valley’s season-opening victory over the Salt Lake City Stars.
It also builds on a productive offseason for the sophomore guard, who continues to show encouraging signs of development on the offensive end.
During Summer League, Manon averaged 12.6 points per game while shooting 38.5% from three-point range.
His offensive improvement was particularly evident during a 24-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs in the California Classic, when he shot 7-of-10 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
Manon’s Offensive Development Could Strengthen LA’s Rotation
Manon’s defensive abilities have rarely been in question. However, developing a more consistent offensive game could ultimately determine whether he earns regular minutes at the NBA level.
If the 24-year-old can combine a dependable outside shot with the defensive intensity already central to his game, the Lakers could have an intriguing two-way contributor capable of complementing their star-studded roster.
“Really like Chris,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick previously said. “We had him in for a draft workout, I think we maybe had him in for two draft workouts. Then he was with Golden State during the California Classic and really popped against us, so we started working that pretty much immediately with his agent because he wasn’t on a two-way.”
“So we’re invested in him and we’re invested in his development, in his career. I thought he played really well against Sacramento.”
Manon signed his second two-way contract with the Lakers ahead of Summer League and is expected to split his sophomore campaign between Los Angeles and G League affiliate Coachella Valley.
Although he played just 46 minutes across nine NBA appearances last season, the organization has continued to demonstrate confidence in his long-term development.
The decision to bring him back suggests Rob Pelinka and the Lakers front office believe Manon has the potential to become a valuable point-of-attack defender at the NBA level, particularly as his offensive confidence continues to grow.
Lakers Two-Way Guard Sends Strong Message With Explosive Outing