An Open Letter Regarding The Lakers Summer League And 2016

Dear fellow Laker fans,

Way to go! Way to let ’em know how you feel!

You really stuck it to ’em, right?

Wrong. So wrong.

In fact, I am incredibly disappointed and, frankly, a little embarrassed.

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You know what I’m talking about — no, not just you, all of you.

No, this isn’t about that whole incident back in Christmas of ’09 — that’s done and over with.

What I’m actually talking about is what took place just the other night — the boos.

That’s right — the boos.

The ones you so vehemently unleashed throughout the Thomas & Mack Center after the first quarter of a Summer League game.

Yes, the performance was admittedly putrid — the 5 points, 7 turnovers and 2 of 17 shooting were nearly unbearable to watch.

And I do understand that after the team struck out in free agency, the desire for immediate results is only further intensified.

So, yeah, I completely get it.

But again, it’s Summer League.

Lakers Summer League, of all things.

A place where great performances and future success aren’t exactly synonymous (ahem, Josh Powell).

And where the latter can often follow a particularly bad showing (oh, hey, Derrick Rose!).

I know we are quite unfamiliar with actually caring about this Summer League “thing” as a fan base (after all, these past two lottery-bound seasons comprise half of the trips that we’ve ever made there as a team) and the quick development of Jordan Clarkson sent our expectations for young players through the roof.

But while we’d love to see the rooks hit the ground running when landing upon this fresh environment, this simple fact remains — the NBA Summer League is about growth.

And growth, quite frankly, is a delicacy that we have taken for granted for far too long. No it is not the most eye-pleasing thing to watch unfurl, but if you allow one to take its natural course of development, something beautiful can emerge.

And with the unique talents of both D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, that beauty has the potential to be dazzling.

Look closely and you’ll find there is serenity in Russell’s pinpoint passes that fly past an unprepared Tarik Black and you’ll see there is salvation in the steady progress of Randle’s overall feel as each game goes on.

And at the very least, you can find comfort in the fact that every one of these players yearns to be great just as badly as we wish we could snap our fingers and make it happen.

Look, I know that for even the most strung out of basketball junkies, Summer League can be rough.

But with a rare young core actually worth caring about, it matters.

So, with that, I preach patience.

The next time we step on the grounds of Thomas & Mack, let’s act like we’ve been there before.

Bottom Line: The road to recovery is just beginning.

Let’s not only celebrate when the ball goes through the hoop, but awe at the promise of the fastbreak that ends with a misplaced lob and applaud the effort when a Randle drive ends with him stumbling out of bounds.

Let us find harmony in the cacophonous play that ensues as we watch the team figure “it” out in real time.

Because, as ugly as “it” may be now, it’s progress.