Reflections on Lakers Summer League Opener

Some of my takeaways from watching the Lakers' Las Vegas Summer League opener against the Clippers.

1. Brandon Ingram was by far the best player on the floor, and he was playing like he knows he is the best player on the Lakers. This version of him is who I was excited about being drafted last year. Now, with D'Angelo Russell out of the way, Ingram gets to be the floor general and play with a more aggressive style. He was successful every time he put the ball on the floor and attacked the basket, and his jump shot looked confident and reliable.

2. I really want Ivica Zubac to develop into a serviceable big man, but it looks like he still has a long way to go. It is evident that he has some skills, but he still hesitates and doesn't carry himself with any sense of strength or aggression.

3. Vander Blue could be Lou Williams. A pure energy scorer off the bench, able to attack the basket at will and can seemingly create his own shot whenever he wants.

4. Lonzo Ball plays the game so fast, he's ahead of everyone but Ingram. His shooting totals (2 for 15, 1 for 11 from 3) were pretty disappointing, but at least three of those shots were end-of-clock heaves. It wasn't until his seventh attempt that he made his first three. I understand continuing to put shots up because he wanted to see one go in. I'm actually glad he did. But continuing to put up the same shots after that seemed unnecessary. I wanted to see him default to attacking the basket more and get his teammates accustomed to what that's going to look like and when to expect passes to be flying at them.

5. Lavar Ball's halftime interview is the best sound clip I have ever heard out of him. He put the attention on Lonzo, acknowledged a changing Laker culture and that the team winning is ahead of Lonzo's performance, and declared that Lonzo's relationship with Magic is the most important thing for Lonzo moving forward. If this is the version of Lavar that becomes the norm, I will be very pleased.

6. I really like Sindarius Thornwell of the Clippers. His performance and leadership during the NCAA tournament last year, single-handedly propelling the Gamecocks to their first Final Four appearance, was incredible. There are some doubts regarding his size and athleticism translating into the NBA, but he repeatedly made intelligent basketball plays today, and his physical abilities look like they are more than enough to get the job done.

Jennings Skips College, Goes to Italy. Bad Trend For Basketball.

Brandon Jennings, an 18 year old graduate out of Oak Hill Academy, has decided to skip attending college at the University of Arizona and instead sign with Pallacanestro Virtus Roma of the Italian pro league. The number one rated point guard recruit in the country could not enter this year's draft because of league rules stating players must be 19 years old (Jennings turns 19 on September 23) and at least one year removed from high school. Presented with the opportunity to play at such a powerhouse as Arizona (who has provided such pros as Gilbert Arenas, Andre Iguodala, Jason Terry and Mike Bibby), Jennings was waiting for scores from standardized tests before he could officially be accepted to the university.

He decided to start on his professional career early and join a team on which he will likely be the starting point guard (the incumbent is likely to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors), and that features numerous ex-college players from the States, including Villanova's Allan Ray (right), a former Boston Celtic.

I am not opposed to individual doing whatever they can to earn a living for themselves and supporting their family. I am opposed to seeking and taking the easy/more lucrative way out when other, better, opportunities are available. There is no reason for Jennings to do this other than the money. He will not be as big in the public eye as he would have been playing for a popular university like Arizona. He will not be receiving the same level of coaching that he could have gotten from Lute Olson, a legend in his own right. (Sidebar: Olson has claimed never to recruit "one-and-dones" again based on Jennings' actions.) Kids are so quick to start their professional careers, they are going to regret skipping the college experience. Ask Matt Leinart why he stayed at USC for another year when he could've been the number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft (to be drafted 10th the next year), and he will say it was because he couldn't leave the college experience. It was too much fun. Not to mention the actual education Jennings would be receiving and have the opportunity to go back and finish at some point. A free college education is something thousands of high school graduates every year wish they had, and these ball players take it completely for granted.

One-and-done players (Michael Beasley (below, left), Eric Gordon (below, right)) have a devastating effect on the teams they join. Much time, effort and money is spent going after these superstar athletes who have no intention of sticking around and helping the university. College basketball suffers by not having its athletes remain with the team and create a sense of continuity with fans.The only positive to this is that there is a lot more parity in the game than there used to be. Small schools (i.e. George Mason in '06, Davidson this year) have been able to play with some of the best schools in the country because their players are willing to stay in school and create the chemistry that is required to be a great team. Schools with this mentality have a good chance of keeping up with other schools who rely solely on their one star to carry them in every game.




With this first step that the NBA and the Player's Union have taken, hopefully they can continue down this same path. The present collective bargaining agreement ends after the 2010-2011 season. In negotiating the new CBA, commissioner David Stern and the NBA will attempt to institute a 2-year rule in which players must be two years removed from high school instead of the current 1 year requirement. This can only help all sides involved (except for players looking to get paid as quickly as possible, but who wants them, anyway?). Schools keep their stars for two years, helping chemistry and revenue. Players get two years of education, usually enough time for someone to get interested in a subject and want to pursue a degree in it. And the NBA gets players who are more mature, better able to handle the world of the NBA both on the court and off it.

Don't get me wrong. I wish Brandon Jennings all the luck in the world, and I hope this works out well for him. In fact, I hope it works out so well, he never comes back! Good luck, Brandon, we're all rooting for ya! (In one way or another.)