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After playing three games in the California Classic several days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers began their main NBA summer league schedule on Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. They didn't exactly disappoint the fans on hand at the Thomas & Mack Center or the fans who streamed the game elsewhere.
The Lakers started to build a sizable lead in the second quarter and never looked back. They shot 53.6% from the field while holding Oklahoma City to 41.4% shooting and forcing 20 turnovers, and they came away with a 96-84 win.
Four men stood out for Los Angeles, including the two prospects that fans are hoping will break out this coming season.
Kaluma played for the Lakers' G League affiliate this past season and put up solid numbers while shooting a high percentage from the field and from beyond the arc. On Friday, he made a definite contribution off the bench.
The 6-foot-7 forward made all five of his shot attempts, including a 3-pointer, and all five of his free throw attempts, giving him 15 points in 16 minutes. He also had four rebounds and one assist.
Watson is another forward who spent this past season with the Lakers' G League team. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, he played five years at Gonzaga University and was a second-round draft pick in 2024 by the Boston Celtics.
In Friday's game, he started at center and produced 15 points on 6-of-12 field-goal shooting and 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to go along with four assists, one rebound and one steal.
Thiero is a 6-foot-7 forward going into his second NBA season who Lakers fans are hoping will become a rotation player. He still has the inability to hit perimeter jumpers, but he was otherwise impressive on Friday.
He threw down several alley-oop dunks by moving without the ball and getting open near the basket. Off the dribble, he continued to show he's a rim-seeker, and while he had some trouble converting off the drive early, he started to find his rhythm later.
The 22-year-old ended up with 20 points and made a game-high eight shots on 14 attempts. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts and three of his five free throw attempts, but other than that, he is becoming a presence.
On the other end of the floor, Thiero hustled for three steals and two blocks. One of those blocks came when he hustled back in transition and denied a layup attempt by Nate Johnson. The forward also grabbed four rebounds and dished off four assists.
Carr, the No. 24 pick in last month's NBA draft, continues to look like he's ready to earn rotation minutes with the Lakers this fall. The 6-foot-5 guard looks polished offensively and seems to have the ability to score from all three levels.
He went 7-of-13 from the field, although he made just one of his five 3-point tries, and he finished with 18 points. He moved without the ball well, allowing him to get good looks after catching and taking a few dribbles, and he also showed the ability to drive to the basket and finish.
He also blocked two shots, including a layup attempt near the rim by Bryce Thompson, and he had one steal on an interception. Carr also added two rebounds and one assist.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Four standouts from Lakers' summer league game on Friday
Continue reading...
The Lakers started to build a sizable lead in the second quarter and never looked back. They shot 53.6% from the field while holding Oklahoma City to 41.4% shooting and forcing 20 turnovers, and they came away with a 96-84 win.
Four men stood out for Los Angeles, including the two prospects that fans are hoping will break out this coming season.
Arthur Kaluma
Kaluma played for the Lakers' G League affiliate this past season and put up solid numbers while shooting a high percentage from the field and from beyond the arc. On Friday, he made a definite contribution off the bench.
The 6-foot-7 forward made all five of his shot attempts, including a 3-pointer, and all five of his free throw attempts, giving him 15 points in 16 minutes. He also had four rebounds and one assist.
Anton Watson
Watson is another forward who spent this past season with the Lakers' G League team. At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, he played five years at Gonzaga University and was a second-round draft pick in 2024 by the Boston Celtics.
In Friday's game, he started at center and produced 15 points on 6-of-12 field-goal shooting and 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to go along with four assists, one rebound and one steal.
Adou Thiero
Thiero is a 6-foot-7 forward going into his second NBA season who Lakers fans are hoping will become a rotation player. He still has the inability to hit perimeter jumpers, but he was otherwise impressive on Friday.
He threw down several alley-oop dunks by moving without the ball and getting open near the basket. Off the dribble, he continued to show he's a rim-seeker, and while he had some trouble converting off the drive early, he started to find his rhythm later.
The 22-year-old ended up with 20 points and made a game-high eight shots on 14 attempts. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts and three of his five free throw attempts, but other than that, he is becoming a presence.
On the other end of the floor, Thiero hustled for three steals and two blocks. One of those blocks came when he hustled back in transition and denied a layup attempt by Nate Johnson. The forward also grabbed four rebounds and dished off four assists.
Cameron Carr
Carr, the No. 24 pick in last month's NBA draft, continues to look like he's ready to earn rotation minutes with the Lakers this fall. The 6-foot-5 guard looks polished offensively and seems to have the ability to score from all three levels.
He went 7-of-13 from the field, although he made just one of his five 3-point tries, and he finished with 18 points. He moved without the ball well, allowing him to get good looks after catching and taking a few dribbles, and he also showed the ability to drive to the basket and finish.
He also blocked two shots, including a layup attempt near the rim by Bryce Thompson, and he had one steal on an interception. Carr also added two rebounds and one assist.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Four standouts from Lakers' summer league game on Friday
Continue reading...
