The Los Angeles Lakers’ summer league stint is now complete, and while they got off to a poor start, they finished by winning three games in a row. Along the way, a few of their bigger names started to prove they have real potential.
Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, shot badly in his first four games. But he went 10-of-21 from the field and 3-of-8 from 3-point range in his last two games to go along with the excellent defense he has shown at times. Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in last month’s draft, has some dry spells, but he displayed the ability to consistently hit from the perimeter, both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations.
But another bright spot that some fans may have overlooked is Moses Brown. The 7-foot-2, 260-pound center who played one season of college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles was recently added by L.A. to its summer league roster, and he has looked impressive at times.
While not a real scoring threat, Brown gives 100% while boxing out for rebounds, and he does a good job of throwing his weight around while boxing out. He has also occasionally blocked shots, and his ability to snatch offensive rebounds and establish deep post-up position has also allowed him to get some easy baskets.
Brown has the last five seasons in the NBA and the G League after going undrafted in 2019. While he has rarely gotten more than spot duty, he’s just 24 years of age, so perhaps he still has some potential as a backup center.
A backup center who defends, rebounds and throws his weight around is one of the Lakers’ biggest weaknesses right now. Perhaps Brown isn’t the complete answer to that deficiency, but perhaps he could help in that regard for about 10-15 minutes a game.
The Lakers seem to be prioritizing player development as an organization right now. Brown has some work to do in terms of positional defense, but if he has the work ethic, desire and will to improve, they could possibly help him improve as a player.
It seems they have been wanting to get younger over the last couple of players. Why not invite Brown to training camp and see if he has what it takes to help plug their hole at the center spot?