"so, do you think THEY (The Lakers Management) did "RIGHT" by drafting D'Angelo over Okafor?"
This will no doubt become a pervasive and ongoing topic.
When I sat there watching Okafor I could not help but think about what it WOULD be like to SEE him out there for the purple and gold as opposed to D'Angelo Russell...
Okafor looked solid. A legitimate Big that can hold it down on the interior. A go-to guy. There were a few occasions when the Lakers' Defense sent three to him and Okafor scored on two consecutive possessions when they tried the trip-team.
ADVANTAGE: Okafor
The what "would have been" between Russell and Okafor will continue and the comparisons will be there all season. Okafor, as we have already seen in Vegas, will have dominant games. Russell? For him it is much different and will be much harder.
The Lakers needed both positions and went for the Point Guard from Ohio State. Emmanuel Mudiay might be the "other" comparison to the Lakers' Russell. If given the same type of opportunity that Russell gets it will be interesting to see how THEY compare. Mudiay went for 19 pts and 10 assists on Sunday (July 11, 2015).
Julius Randle sat this one out as part of his rehabilitation process. The Lakers don't want Randle playing in back-to-back contests yet.
Nance Jr. got the start in his stead and much more opportunity than in game 1: 26 mins, 8 pts on 4-6, 5 Boards, 3 steals and two ridiculous blocks including one on the Big Fella from DUKE:
"You've gotta appreciate it..." _ Reggie Miller on Nance's block
Larry created excitement and the adulation of FANS with his play in game two that warranted chants of, "LARRY, LARRY, LARRY" several times including this "cut" at the end of the game:
Meanwhile, Dwight Buycks who got 19 minutes in game one only got 5. It was Xavier Munford who got some PT and put up ok numbers on limited play: 7 pts, 2 board in 12 minutes
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| c'mon UPshaw, we need you ! |
Tony Mitchell, BTW, WANTS A JOB! THE numbers may not be overwhelming but dude is going after it. He has shown up in BOTH contests and is helping the team in any way he can.
Robert Upshaw seems to get the crowd amped with his Blocked Shots. He had three in game 1 and only one in game two. An undrafted player like this CAN match up against an Okafor, but at the end of the day Upshaw does NOT have the skills to hold a player like Okafor down.
He is BIG. Very Long. BUT.. He also seems awkward and has horrible positioning on screen-setting.
JC, Again, remaining consistent: 19 Pts (8-16),4 Bds, 1 A, 3 TOs, and 3 steals. He's just a solid, solid player...
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| Clarkson Remains Consistent and...LAKERS got the DUB 1-1 in Summer League Play going into matchup vs Knicks 7/13/15
Other Things worth Noting...
Pierre Jackson who was the D-League's Top Prospect averaging over 30
per contest in 2013/14 finally got his "shot" last season when he was
traded BACK to the franchise that selected him, the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unfortunately, Pierre ruptured his achilles and he missed the entire
2014/15 season.
He's baaaaack
and dude looked good: 15 Pts, 5-11 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT
Dude can shoot... Dude can PLAY..Dude can FLY...
Bonjour Pierre!
Action Jackson? Pierre looked good for the Sixers
Articles on Pierre:
Gotta LOVE it!
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