The California Summer League Classic kicked off Monday with a matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. Los Angeles was completely outplayed by the Heat, who jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 107-90 victory.
And they appeared to have the better talent, with UCLA product Jaime Jacques Jr. having 22 points, while senior Nikola Jovic, who was an NBA junior last season, had 21 points and eight rebounds.
But some Los Angeles players have shown some flashes of promise. The team will be back at it again on Wednesday when they face the San Antonio Spurs in their second and final game in the California Classic.
Here are three players in particular who looked promising on Monday.
Early on, Hood-Chevino, ranked No. 17 in last month’s draft, looked a little rough. He dropped several nice assist attempts, but was unable to land shots. He went 0-of-5 from 3-point range, and finished the first half just 1-of-8 overall.
But Indiana University’s excellence got things going after that, going 5-of-11 in the second half. Overall, he tallied five rebounds and four assists, although he also had three turnovers.
Outdoor shooting is a concern for Hood-Schifino, as is his ability to get into the loop and finish close to the hoop. But his mid-range game was getting in the way, especially after half-time, and on a couple of occasions he did a good job of creating quick chances, showing that he may have more foot speed than previously thought.
Max Christie looks like the real deal
The upcoming sophomore guy seemed like he knew what he was doing on Monday. He went 6-of-11 from the field and scored 17 points, and also added six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
It was only 1 in 3 from downtown, but it was a hit from the periphery. He even fetched the ball a few times and showed some nice poise while doing so.
Christie seems to have gained some size over the past several months, and that should help him on defense next season. Aside from hitting him consistently, defense is the big question for him – his effort is excellent, but will he be ready to be effective on that end of the floor against some of the NBA’s best wingers?
Maxwell Lewis could be able to contribute
Lewis, a 6-foot-7 winger from Pepperdine University, got only 16 minutes on Monday, but showed some spark, scoring seven points on 2-of-4 shooting at goal and 3-of-4 from the free throw line.
He wasn’t that strong overall, but he did find time to drop three assists.
The Lakers have been hungry for a true three-dimensional winger for some time. Even though they agreed to sign Taurean Prince on Friday, Lewis’ evolution into such a legitimate player would be a huge boon for the Purple and Gold. He definitely has the athleticism and leaps and bounds to do so.