Tag: Maxwell Lewis

Summer Lakers finally get a win against the Hawks on Wednesday

With their biggest headline-maker finally playing well, the Lakers’ summer league team finally got into the victory column.

This was starting to look like a rough summer for the Los Angeles Lakers. They lost each of their three games during the California Classic, and they started out the NBA’s main summer league with two losses to the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics.

On Wednesday, they took on the Atlanta Hawks without Dalton Knecht, who was sitting out for rest, and center Moses Brown, who has a non-COVID-19 illness.

Los Angeles got off quickly and took an early 12-2 lead, and although Atlanta came back to make things close and then take a double-digit lead in the third quarter, it didn’t fold.

It fought back down the stretch, and with the game on the line, L.A. stood tall defensively and got a stop on the final possession to preserve an 87-86 win.

A few of its players stepped up to finally get a victory in summer league play.

Colin Castleton: While Castleton may not have convinced people he deserves a spot in the big league Lakers’ center rotation, he has looked good for much of this summer, as he did last summer.

He made all but one of his nine field-goal attempts to score 17 points, and he also grabbed 12 rebounds. Castleton also dished off six assists in 24 minutes and showed his ability to facilitate in the set offense.

Blake Hinson: Hinson, who was an excellent 3-point shooter at the University of Pittsburgh (he shot 42.1% from downtown this past season), has been hit-and-miss during summer league play. But on Wednesday, he was able to get his shot to fall consistently.

He went 4-of-10 from beyond the arc, and overall, he scored 14 points in 19 minutes off the bench.

Maxwell Lewis: Lewis had another rough outing as he shot just 3-of-12 from the floor. In the third quarter, he put up a nifty spin move and looked to throw down a dunk on the fast break, but he had his attempt blocked by E.J. Liddell.

On a positive note, he did display some defense on Wednesday by blocking two shots

Lewis appears to have some trouble finishing near the rim. But his raw skills are apparent, and if he puts in enough work, perhaps he will become a rotation player in the NBA before long.

Bronny James: Finally, James showed some of the potential he displayed in high school. He made each of his first three shots of the contest, and he even hit his first 3-pointer after going 0-of-15 from that distance prior to Wednesday in summer league play.

The 19-year-old finished with 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from downtown.

Summer Lakers are still winless after losing to Celtics on Monday

The Lakers’ summer league squad continued to play poorly on Monday, this time against the Celtics.

When will the real summer league Los Angeles Lakers stand up? When will men such as Maxwell Lewis, Dalton Knecht and Bronny James play well on a consistent basis, on both ends of the floor?

That could take a while, judging by the fact that the Lakers put forth yet another weak all-around performance on Monday against the Boston Celtics.

Despite falling behind 14-4 due to some putrid shooting, Los Angeles fought back to come to within two points at the end of the first quarter. But that was the last time this game was competitive. Boston won the second quarter 31-17, and L.A. was never able to legitimately fight back, resulting in a 88-74 loss.

Including the California Classic, the Lakers are now 0-5 in summer league play this year.

While there were flashes of promise from some of their key players, virtually none of them were able to put together anything resembling a complete game.

Maxwell Lewis: Early on, Lewis got hot in the second quarter, going 4-of-8 in the period and hitting three 3-pointers to score 11 points. He did a good job of mixing up his offensive attack by occasionally slashing into the paint off the dribble.

But after halftime, the forward missed all three of his shot attempts. While he has some potential to become a useful player, he still needs to put in plenty of work.

Dalton Knecht: Knecht scored a team-high 19 points, but he was hot and cold throughout. With the Lakers struggling mightily to produce points in the third quarter, he hit three shots in a row, but it was just about the only time all night he found any offensive rhythm.

He finished 7-of-21 from the field, although he also had three rebounds, three steals and two assists. It seems Knecht forced quite a few shots and that the Lakers didn’t really run any plays or sequences for him.

Bronny James: It is starting to get painful watching James try to get acclimated to pro basketball. He came into this contest 6-of-26 overall and 0-of-12 from downtown. On Monday, he was 1-of-5 overall and 0-of-3 from beyond the arc, and he even air-balled a couple of shots.

The 19-year-old finished with two points, three rebounds and one assist.

Moses Brown: Perhaps the only true bright spot for L.A. was the play of center Moses Brown. The 7-foot-2 24-year-old did a pretty good job of throwing his weight around in the paint, and he tallied 11 points, six rebounds and one blocked shot in 15 minutes.

On one play, he made a nice effort to secure an offensive rebound, then exploded for a dunk. He also made the effort to draw fouls, and he went 3-of-4 from the free throw line.

The Lakers’ next summer league game will be on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. You can see their complete summer league schedule here.

Lakers’ 2024 summer league schedule and broadcast info

A look at when each of the Lakers’ summer league games will take place and where fans can watch each contest.

For the next few weeks, people will be able to get a glimpse at some of the Los Angeles Lakers’ most promising young players when they take part in summer league play. Jalen Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, won’t participate due to a back procedure he had in March, but Bronny James, Dalton Knecht, Maxwell Lewis and Colin Castleton, among others, will play.

In recent years, summer league has become much more than an opportunity for incoming rookies to get their feet wet in the NBA’s rough waters. It has become a league-wide event, not just for players or even fans, but also for executives, as many general managers make the trip to Las Vegas to be in attendance during games.

The Lakers’ summer league schedule will begin with the California Classic, which will take place starting this weekend. They will face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, the Golden State Warriors on Sunday and the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Then the team will make its way to Las Vegas for the main summer league. It will play at least four games there beginning on Friday, July 12.

Every summer league game the Lakers will play in will be televised by either ESPN, ESPN 2 or NBA TV.

Young Lakers are grateful LeBron James got them their big payday in NBA in-season tournament

A number of young Lakers have said LeBron James wanted to win the NBA Cup in part to help them achieve financial security.

The Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA’s first in-season tournament on Saturday by pushing aside the Indiana Pacers 123-109. Although it is fair to question exactly how much weight winning the NBA Cup will carry for a player or franchise, it is safe to say this tourney has been a success for the league.

In addition to raising the level of competition and excitement among players, it has also resulted in a big payday for them. In particular, Lakers players on standard contracts each earned $500,000 while men on two-way contracts netted $250,000 for winning the tourney.

LeBron James, who was named the tourney’s MVP, probably has $500,000 in cash wedged between the cushions of his couch or underneath the seats in his car. But for L.A.’s young players, a six-figure payday means a ton. It means securing their financial future and those of their families, not to mention an opportunity to give back to their communities and help the underprivileged.

A number of these players were grateful for the big bag they secured on Saturday and for James’ help in doing so.

Lakers assign rookie Maxwell Lewis to the G League

Lakers rookie wing Maxwell Lewis, a second-round draft pick, will get the chance to hone his skills in the G League.

The Los Angeles Lakers may be struggling to start this season, and they may have plenty of work to do before they start to play up to their potential. But the good news is they certainly have the talent, at least on paper, to get to that level of play.

In stark contrast to a year or two ago, they have plenty of options at the wing position. Taurean Prince is their starter at the 3, at least for now, but they can also go to Jarred Vanderbilt (when healthy — he currently has left heel bursitis), Cam Reddish, Rui Hachimura or Max Christie.

The Lakers also have Maxwell Lewis, an athletic 6-foot-7 rookie who seems to have the potential to become a good two-way player. For now, he will get the opportunity to hone his skills in the G League, as they have reportedly assigned him to the South Bay Lakers.

While at Pepperdine University and during the preseason, Lewis showed some promise as a slasher, 3-point shooter and defender. The Lakers organization would love for him to become a legitimate 3-and-D player moving forward.

10 NBA rookies make predictions for their first game before the season begins

There are so many great answers from this NBA rookie class.

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After completing their first offseason, a new class of NBA rookies are ready to step on the court to make their professional debuts.

While nothing can compare with the special moment of hearing their name called in the NBA Draft, it is assuredly a surreal feeling to have your lifelong dreams realized on the hardwood.

We spoke to 10 rookies from the 2023 draft class about all of the emotions they anticipate feeling once they officially begin their professional careers as NBA athletes.

Here is what each prospect said about what they expect when they play on the parquet courts in front of thousands of fans.

These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.

Lakers’ Darvin Ham explains next area of development for Maxwell Lewis

Lewis is averaging 7.3 points and one assist in three preseason games with the Lakers so far.

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has been impressed thus far by Maxwell Lewis and believes the former Pepperdine forward can have a long and successful career in the NBA.

Lewis was drafted with the 40th pick by the Lakers after averaging 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season as a sophomore. He was named to the All-West Coast Conference second team and finished sixth in the conference in scoring.

The 6-foot-7 forward dazzled in college with his scoring and overall ability. He has the physical tools to be productive with the Lakers and projects to eventually be a rotation player in the NBA.

“I think he has a really, really special gift in terms of his talent, athleticism and his physical structure,” Ham said on Wednesday. “He is quick. He is athletic. He can play lateral (and) vertical.”

Lewis logged his third appearance of the preseason on Wednesday. He recorded seven points, one assist and one block in a 109-101 win over the Sacramento Kings in Anaheim, California. He went 3-of-5 from the field in 15 minutes off the bench.

He is averaging 7.3 points and one assist on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range so far in the preseason. He has had some strong moments in a small sample size on both sides of the floor but will need more reps to be a consistent contributor.

Ham explained his next area of development.

He is just in that phase where he needs to slow down a little bit. There is a lot of speed in our game but you can’t go fast each and every possession. It is more about reading things quick, doing your work early and in a quick fashion, getting to your spots quick, and then being patient — allowing plays to materialize.

Once you settle down and slow down, things start to happen. You can see moves that are going to present themselves 2-3 seconds or 2-3 passes before it actually happens. He is in that phase right now but we want him to play through it. He is going to be an exciting player. As long as he continues to work like he is working … he’ll have a very long career, I’m sure.

Lewis inked a four-year contract with the first two years guaranteed. The organization certainly believes he has a bright future ahead and will look to work with him to get him up to speed quickly.

The Lakers continue the preseason on Friday versus Golden State.

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Watch: Maxwell Lewis throws down breakaway windmill dunk vs. Nets

Lakers rookie forward Maxwell Lewis showed off his athleticism late in the team’s 129-126 win over the Nets on Monday.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a number of interesting rookies on their roster this season. Of those, guard Jalen Hood-Schifino is getting the most attention, and for good reason. He was the No. 17 pick in June’s draft.

Hood-Schifino clearly has potential as a big combo guard who can initiate, get others open and hit the open man as well as score himself and even defend well. It will take him a while to develop, but he has the luxury of developing at his own pace on a deep and talented Lakers squad.

One rookie who has seemingly fallen between the cracks is second-round pick Maxwell Lewis. The 6-foot-7 forward flashed what he could become in L.A.’s 129-126 preseason win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. In the fourth quarter, he delivered a breakaway windmill jam off a steal from D’Moi Hodge, another rookie.

Lewis finished with 10 points on 4-of-5 overall shooting and 2-of-3 from 3-point range in 15 minutes. He received the bulk of his playing time in the fourth quarter, and he was a big reason the Lakers held on for the victory.

Lakers 3 goals: Will rookie Maxwell Lewis be able to contribute?

By focusing on these three goals, Lakers rookie wing Maxwell Lewis can give himself a chance at success in the NBA.

With training camp for the 2023-24 season just days away, the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing to hit the court for what could be an exciting and very successful season. They appear to have a stacked roster, and therefore an 18th NBA championship is a realistic goal for them once it’s all said and done next summer.

To accomplish that goal, a number of players will need to play up to their potential. That includes incoming rookie Maxwell Lewis, who was a second-round draft choice who came to L.A. via a four-team trade made on draft day.

Lewis seems to have immense potential, and these three goals should help him tap into that potential.

Lakers summer player goals: Maxwell Lewis

Here are three goals for the Lakers’ Maxwell Lewis this summer.

Training camp for the 2023-24 NBA season is slowly but surely approaching, and while there is plenty of time before it begins, it’s time for players to start ramping up their training and preparation.

That’s especially true for the Los Angeles Lakers, who are hoping to win their 18th world championship next summer. They magically remade what was a broken roster in January and February, and they’re aiming for the sky rather than just trying to tread water.

Los Angeles took Maxwell Lewis, a 6-foot-7 forward out of Pepperdine University, with the No. 40 pick in June’s draft. It’s hard to say if he will get any meaningful playing time as a rookie. Nonetheless, it’s time for him to prepare as if the team will be relying on him.

Here are three summer goals for the incoming rookie.