Lakers Summer League: Game One Recap

Lakers fall 96-93 to Clippers to open Summer League action in Vegas:

The crowd was fired up and ready to go, but the Lakers unfortunately came up short to open their Summer League slate. The Los Angeles Clippers took care of business in overtime, 96-93 on Friday night in Las Vegas. Lonzo Ball struggled and didn’t live up to expectations in his debut. Ball, did however, get the crowd going early with this alley-oop pass that was right on the money to Brandon Ingram:

Overall, Ball finished the night shooting 2-of-15 from the field, including 1-of-11 from deep. One of the biggest question marks that will surround Ball all season long is if he can adjust to the NBA three pointer. Tonight was not the start he or Lakers fans were hoping for. On a positive note, Lonzo finished with 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block.

Throughout the game it looked as if Ball was hesitant to drive to the basket and initiate any kind of contact. Defenders continually went underneath screens daring him to keep shooting the three. It’ll be interesting to see the adjustments Ball makes as he adjusts to the NBA level.

Next, let’s look at the bright spots for the Lakers. Brandon Ingram showed us all how much work he’s put in during the off-season to this point. He finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the floor. Shooting just shy of 53% is a positive sign for the Lakers, as he shot just 40.2% overall all of last year. This big time possession came with just 34 seconds left in the game and forced overtime:

Ingram also added 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The only negative on the night were his 5 turnovers. Overall, tonight was a step in the right direction for Ingram.

One rookie who made a great first impression was Lakers second round selection, Thomas Bryant. Bryant, who played for Indiana during his college days, finished the night with 13 points, and 5 rebounds on 80% shooting. Bryant seemed to be playing with an edge on his shoulder as the Lakers are yet to offer him a rookie contract. He’s well on his way to earning one after tonight.

Other players in double-figures for the Lakers were Vander Blue (11), and Travis Wear (13). Both players are fighting for roster spots it would seem.

For the Clippers, they were led by Sindarius Thornwell, Brice Johnson, and veteran, Kendall Marshall. Thornwell, who took South Carolina to the final four a season ago, finished with 26 points on 6-of-13 shooting. As for Johnson, he added 23 points, after shooting 10-of-15. The man who was feeding those guys all night was Marshall, who finished with 11 points, and 11 assists. This was the highlight of the night for Brice Johnson and the Clippers: