Tag: Maxwell Lewis

2023 Lakers summer league player grades: Maxwell Lewis

A final look at Maxwell Lewis’ performance during NBA Summer League play for the Lakers this year.

The 2023 NBA Summer League is in the books, and it gave a number of players the opportunity to flash their potential and possibly earn a spot in the association.

The Los Angeles Lakers had a mix of can’t-miss players, prospects looking to get some playing time and those fighting for a spot somewhere in the league.

Forward Maxwell Lewis was the No. 40 pick in June’s draft by the Lakers, and he appears to have serious potential as a 3-and-D wing. Shortly after summer league play began, they moved quickly to sign him to a three-year contract.

Three takeaways from Sunday’s Lakers vs. Hornets summer league game

These three players stood out in the Lakers’ 93-75 win over the Hornets in the NBA Summer League on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ entry in the NBA Summer League earned its second straight win on Sunday when it notched a 93-75 victory over the Charlotte Hornets in a matinee contest.

The squad seems to be finding itself, both collectively and individually, after it lost both of its games in the California Classic on Monday and Wednesday. The Lakers have won both of their games thus far in the main summer league, and they have looked fairly impressive at times.

By now, a few of their players have established themselves as potential or even serious NBA prospects. These three players looked especially spry on Sunday afternoon.

Three takeaways from Monday’s Lakers vs. Heat summer league game

Three players showed promise during the Lakers’ first summer league game of 2023.

The California Classic summer league tipped off on Monday with a contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The Heat thoroughly outclassed Los Angeles. They jumped to a sizable early lead and cruised to a 107-90 victory.

It appeared they simply had better talent. Jaime Jaquez Jr., out of University of California, Los Angeles, had 22 points. Big man Nikola Jovic, who was an NBA rookie this past season, posted 21 points and eight rebounds.

A few players for Los Angeles showed some promise. The team will be back at it again on Wednesday when it takes on the San Antonio Spurs in its second and final contest of the California Classic.

Here are three players in particular that looked promising on Monday.

Darvin Ham talks about Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham seems to like what incoming rookies Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis can bring to the table.

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More and more people are feeling hopeful about the Los Angeles Lakers’ two draft picks this year: Indiana University guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and Pepperdine University forward Maxwell Lewis.

Neither is a sure thing, but both have a great deal of potential, and there is optimism that Hood-Schifino and possibly Maxwell will fill needs for Los Angeles.

While Hood-Schifino has intriguing playmaking and defensive skills, Lewis is a long 6-foot-7 man who has ample athleticism and 3-and-D potential.

But no matter what fans and pundits may think, the opinion of their new head coach matters most, and Lakers head coach Darvin Ham had nice things to say about both incoming rookies.

“I just think with Jalen you have a big guard. He kind of reminds me of Chauncey Billups, one of my old teammates — probably doesn’t shoot it as well as Chauncey, but his jump shot is nowhere near broke, (shoots) high 70s in his free throws and that is usually an indicator that that will translate to the 3-point line at the NBA level. Just his versatility on both sides of the ball, his poise with the ball in his hands, his ability to play off the ball, his reads, his playmaking ability offensively and defensively is just off the charts. His ability to guard multiple positions, guarding on the ball, off the ball, his ability to rebound, keep his man in front of him at that size — 6-foot-6, 215 — to have that in your backcourt is really going to be special.

“Maxwell, on the wing, just his versatility, his ability to shoot, his ability to playmaker, also his ability to rebound and his length. He’s able to get deflections, get steals, he can block shots at the rim, block shots on the ball. They’re both great in transition. They check a lot of boxes in regards to the way we want to play.”

In all likelihood, the best way for both men to gain meaningful playing time in Ham’s rotation next season is to get after it on the defensive end, which is something both are capable of.

The Lakers’ summer league schedule is set

Get ready to watch the Lakers’ youngsters in this year’s summer league, which starts on July 3.

The Los Angeles Lakers will have intriguing young players taking part in summer league play this year.

There is guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was selected with the No. 17 pick in Thursday’s draft, and forward Maxwell Lewis, the No. 40 selection. Los Angeles will have several undrafted free agents also taking part: guard D’Moi Hodge, forward Alex Fudge, big man Colin Castleton and guard Damion Baugh.

Two players who were rookies this past season will also play in the summer league: wing Max Christie and forward Cole Swider.

The Lakers’ schedule for summer league play in Las Vegas is set (all times are in Pacific Daylight Time).

In addition, the Lakers will play in two games as part of the California Classic prior to heading to Las Vegas. They will face the Miami Heat on July 3 at 3 p.m. PDT and the San Antonio Spurs two days later at 5 p.m. PDT.

The contest against the Spurs could allow Lakers fans to get a first look at 7-foot-2 Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 pick who has been described as a generational talent and the most hyped rookie since at least LeBron James.

Lakers select Maxwell Lewis with the No. 40 pick in the 2023 NBA draft

After agreeing to acquire the No. 40 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft from the Pacers, the Lakers used it to select Maxwell Lewis.

The Los Angeles Lakers had the No. 17 and No. 47 picks heading into the 2023 NBA draft, but they made a move hours before the draft commenced, sending the No. 47 pick and cash to the Indiana Pacers for pick No. 40.

The No. 17 pick was used to select Jalen Hood-Schifino, a guard out of Indiana University who has tremendous length, defensive versatility and potential as a facilitator and secondary scoring option.

The Lakers have had a history of hitting home runs with second-round draft picks, and this year could be a continuation of that trend. At No. 40, they went with Maxwell Lewis, a wing from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California.

Meet Lakers rookie Maxwell Lewis, the saxophone player turned prototypical NBA wing

Lewis played the saxophone until deciding he wanted to pursue an NBA career.

Editor’s Note: This story was originally published June 8, 2023

Pepperdine sophomore Maxwell Lewis is one of the most intriguing wings in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Lewis averaged 17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game during his breakout campaign for Pepperdine in 2022-23. Although he didn’t take the most traditional path to the pros, we project he’ll be a first-round pick in our latest 2023 NBA Mock Draft.

As the youngest of five children but the tallest in his family, Lewis always knew that basketball was an option for him. Soon, he can potentially turn it into his career.

“I feel like it was meant for me to play basketball,” Lewis told For The Win during a recent interview. “I had a size 15 shoe in like sixth grade.”

Lewis has spent the offseason training at IMPACT Basketball in Las Vegas with legendary skills trainer Joe Abunassar. Lewis has spent the pre-draft process training alongside several NBA players including Josh Green, Caleb Houstan and Keon Johnson.

The former Pepperdine standout has worked out for several teams with draft picks in the lottery including the Mavericks, Pelicans and Thunder. Some of the other teams with first-round picks that brought Lewis into their facilities include the Hawks, Lakers and Rockets.

Now, he feels ready to take the next step and make his mark in the NBA, and here are five things to know about him.

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2023 NBA Mock Draft 5.0: 58 projections after the early entry withdrawal deadline

Rookie Wire took a look at where the next draft class stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline.

The NBA pre-draft process crossed another important checkpoint on the schedule with the early entry withdrawal deadline coming and going this week.

Prospects had the opportunity to test the waters and meet with teams to gain feedback on their potential draft stock. To maintain their remaining college eligibility, they had to withdraw from consideration by 11:59 p.m. EDT on Wednesday.

The deadline saw several potential second-round picks withdraw from the draft and return to school. With name, image and likeness playing a prevalent role in college basketball, players were likely swayed to stay one more year to work on their games and capitalize financially.

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The 2024 draft is also projected to be weaker than in past years, which also may have played a role in some players opting against turning pro. They likely believe they will have a greater chance of being a first-round pick next year.

With several players off the board, teams can prioritize workouts and interviews with those individuals remaining in the draft. As a result, players’ stock will continue to fluctuate with less than three weeks to go until the draft.

Rookie Wire took a look at where the draft stands following the early entry withdrawal deadline. Team needs were taken into consideration for these picks.

2023 Lakers draft prospect profile: Maxwell Lewis

A look at Maxwell Lewis, a wing from Pepperdine University.

Early in the season, when the Los Angeles Lakers were mired in a horrible 2-10 start, there was fear they would end up giving a very high draft pick this summer to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Per the terms of 2019’s Anthony Davis trade, the Pelicans had the right to swap first-round picks with L.A. this year. When the Purple and Gold struggled in October and November, there was even a bit of fear the pick the team might give up the No. 1 pick overall, meaning it would’ve surrendered the rights to French phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Instead, the Lakers turned things around, starting in February, and kept their pick (No. 17).

They recently worked out a very intriguing prospect who could be taken with that No. 17 pick, and his name is Maxwell Lewis.

Maxwell Lewis in OKC for presumed pre-draft visit with the Thunder

Maxwell Lewis is projected to go in the first round.

The 2023 NBA draft is less than a month away, which means pre-draft visits and workouts have ramped up.

The Oklahoma City Thunder own the draft picks at No. 12, No. 37 and No. 50, which creates a wide range of prospects they could select at those spots.

Pepperdine forward Maxwell Lewis appears to be one of the prospects who’ve met with the Thunder. He posted on his Instagram story that he was in OKC, presumably for a pre-draft visit.

The 20-year-old spent two college seasons at Pepperdine, which is a West Coast Conference school. In 31 games last season, he averaged 17.1 points on 46.8% shooting, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists. He shot 34.8% from 3 on 4.3 attempts.

Lewis is projected to go late in the first round, which means the Thunder will likely need to trade back into the first round to acquire him.

The 2023 NBA draft is scheduled for Thursday, June 22. A full list of prospects who’ve met with the Thunder can be read here.

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