Archive for the 'Summer League' Category

Last week, Lakers second round picks Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks ranked first and third, respectively, on NBA.com’s Rookie Ladder based on individual performances at the Las Vegas summer league.

While the statistical production of Ebanks waned in L.A.’s final two games, Caracter fell just two spots to No. 3, finishing behind only John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, the respective No. 1 and No. 5 overall picks in the 2010 Draft.

Not bad for a player Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak nabbed with the No. 58 selection.

The UTEP prospect closed summer league with averages of 15.4 points, 8.6 rebounds (sixth most in league), 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocks on 59.3 percent shooting (second among players averaging at least 13 points).

Ebanks, meanwhile, finished with averages of 15.0 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from three-point range (5-of-11).

Both players performed more than well enough to produce some optimism heading into training camp, as summer league head coach Chuck Person said that both were “NBA players.”

Caracter and Ebanks will get their chance against some of the world’s best come October, when they’ll take the court with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and the rest of the Lakers.

LAKERS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE
The name “Bill Bertka” carries considerable weight in basketball circles.

The long time coach, scout and executive – currently L.A.’s Director of Scouting/Basketball Consultant – has quite literally been working with the game’s best players for longer than any current NBA player has been alive, and enters his 30th season with the Lakers alone.

We mention Bertka because before L.A. played the Kings in their fourth summer league game in Las Vegas, he revealed the primary purpose of the summer sessions for the Lakers: to see how potential senior team roster prospects (see: Ebanks, Devin and Caracter, Derrick) fit into the triangle offense.

Towards that end, Bertka and Lakers summer league head coach Chuck Person and assistant Rasheed Hazzard spent six practices teaching their players the basics of the triangle, and continued to preach the key elements of the triple-post offense through four games, with one final contest to come on Thursday.

As such, while the Lakers are trying to install perhaps basketball’s most intricate system, most other teams run more simple offenses in Vegas.

In related news, the Lakers have lost all four games, most recently Tuesday evening’s 90-84 defeat to DeMarcus Cousins (19 and 12) and Sacramento.

The triangle, after all, can take years for NBA veterans to learn, so one can imagine what it looks like when a group of guys with no previous triangle experience try to get their Tex Winter on.

But as Bertka explained, that’s the whole purpose heading into training camp in October.

“We’re trying to show these players how to operate the triangle in a short period of time,” he said. “There’s a long way to go, but we’re pleased with the progress they’ve made. (Tuesday night) was the best they’ve run the offense thus far.”

Indeed, after shooting just 33 percent in a Monday loss to New York, L.A. converted 45.5 percent of its shots against the Kings, including Caracter’s 6-of-9 performance for 14 points, as he grew more comfortable with where to be on the floor.

“My goal has been to understand the offense overall in general, continue to learn and take the things that my coaches are telling me,” said the team’s No. 58 pick. “I think I’ll be a lot better once everybody else knows the triangle in training camp.”

It’s much the same in the NFL, when teams hold OTA (Offseason Training Activities) primarily to integrate their rookies and young players into the team’s offensive and defensive schemes.

And, after four games, reports on both Ebanks and Caracter are positive.

“They’ve done well with the basic parts of the triangle,” said Person. “It’s a simple but complicated offense, so the fact that they’re making the right reads, have the right foot work and are trying to do the things we do with our regular (Lakers) team.

“I think Caracter and Ebanks are definitely NBA players.”

All the post-draft buzz about Ebanks (43rd pick) centered on his defense, and while he didn’t disappoint in that aspect, he showcased a more-developed-than-was-reported offensive flair, averaging 17.3 points in the first three games before a 12-point performance against the Kings.

Caracter, whom NBA.com had atop the rookie ladder (with Ebanks third) after he posted double-doubles in the team’s first three games (17.7 points, 10.7 rebounds), posted 14 points with five rebounds and four blocks against No. 5 overall pick Cousins, who had a true size advantage against which Caracter battled ably.

“Cousins is a legitimate center in this league, and Caracter is a little bit undersized, but he has a good nose for the basketball, has good hands and he can jump, is quick off his feet,” Person continued. “I think he fared well, and as he continues to lose weight and get in shape and get acclimated into our system, he could (play) for us down the line.”

“Down the line” is what matters anyway.

“We’re looking for these guys to come into camp well versed in the things that we like to do out of Coach (Phil) Jackson’s system, so I was very impressed with what they did tonight,” Person concluded. “We try to get guys in the right positions to make the right reads out of the triangle, and I’ve been impressed and excited with the way things have worked out so far.”

That’s just how Bertka likes it.

TO WATCH SUMMER LEAGUE GAMES, CLICK HERE

LAKERS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE
No Lakers news was going to push Derek Fisher’s contract agreement to stay with the team, announced on Monday afternoon, off the franchise marquee.

But over in Las Vegas, the organization’s two second round draft picks – Derrick Caracter (No. 58) and Devin Ebanks (No. 43) – continued to outplay their draft positions as they respectively took steps towards making the senior squad in training camp.

“That’s the goal,” said Caracter after posting his third consecutive double-double in a loss to the Knicks. “But right now I’m just trying to learn the offense and get better.”

Caracter started slowly in the Triangle O taught by summer league head coach Chuck Person and assistant Rasheed Hazzard, making only 3-of-9 first half shots while struggling with the length of New York’s Jerome Jordan and Eric Boateng. But in the second half, Caracter used counter moves and made all four of his attempts to finish with 16 points, alongside 10 boards (six offensive).

When the Lakers drafted Caracter out of UTEP, GM Mitch Kupchak was pleased that he remained on the board so late, and said he liked Caracter’s ability to both rebound and score the ball. We’ve seen why with averages of 17.7 points and 10.7 rebounds through three games.

Kupchak also cited Caracter’s need to continue getting in better shape, as he had during his final year of college. Through three games, conditioning hasn’t appeared a problem at all for Caracter, who was energetic once again, as witnessed by the eight personal fouls he committed and those six offensive boards.

Energy was also a strength for Ebanks, who played all but 47 seconds of the game, but struggled with his shot in making only 2-of-13 attempts for seven points.

The West Virginia product came into the game amongst the summer league scoring leaders after averaging 22.5 points in L.A.’s first two games, but he wasn’t particularly concerned about his field goal struggles after the game.

“I’m just trying to work hard and do what the coaches tell me to do,” he said. “If my shot’s not fouling, I have to contribute in other ways.”

Ebanks was solid defensively, grabbed five rebounds and got up and down in transition, helping the Lakers take a momentary lead late in the third quarter before New York used a 9-0 run to seal the game.

He’ll have his chance to bounce back offensively in Tuesday’s game against Sacramento, when Caracter goes for his fourth straight double-double against Kings rookie DeMarcus Cousins.

TO WATCH, CLICK HERE

Additional Notes and Numbers:
- Courtney Sims added 11 points and five rebounds for L.A., joining Caracter (16 points) and D.J. Strawberry (12) in double figures.
- Gerald Green scored five quick points in the third quarter to cut into what was once a 17-point Knicks lead, but the former dunk champ played only 10 minutes and turned the ball over three times. Turnovers were a problem for the whole team, who totaled 22 giveaways, the main culprit being Caracter (eight).
- L.A. shot a putrid 33 percent from the field, to New York’s 45 percent, but made 17-of-22 free throws (77.3 percent).

LAKERS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE

The Lakers did, however, get solid contributions from both of their second round draft picks, Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter.

Ebanks scored 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting with two steals, two assists and two rebounds, while Caracter added 20 points of his own (9-of-14) with 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

L.A. also got 14 points from D.J. Strawberry, 11 assists from Ibrahim Jaaber and 11 points with seven boards from Rob Kurz, but couldn’t hand onto a nine-point lead (84-75) late in the fourth due to a 13-0 Pistons’ run to close the game.

The Lakers are back at it on Saturday, when they play the Denver Nuggets (1-0) at 3 p.m.

TO WATCH, CLICK HERE

Before L.A.’s final Summer League game, we ran into Lakers play-by-play voice Joel Meyers.

Meyers, in town to call games for NBA.com and NBATV, offered his observations about Adam Morrison and L.A.’s Vegas crew and threw in a few food “joints” to catch back in L.A. over the summer.