Lakers Rookie Review: Ingram and Zubac

There’s a lot to take in with the latest Lakers rookie review.

Contrary to popular opinion, the 2015-16 was a success for the Lakers.

Clearly, by traditional standards of success , winning only 17 games in a season is nothing to harp about. However, sometimes to be good , you have to be really bad.

After a rocky 17-65 record , the Lakers’ biggest accomplishment this season was being bad enough to be able to keep their top 3 lottery protected pick.

Had they lost the pick , it would have gone to the 76ers.

That being said, Lakers nation was ecstatic when the cards came out and the Lakers landed in the top 3 , and not only that , but the basketball gods smiled on the franchise and gifted the Lakers the number 2 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

Needless to say, Lakers nation was excited to know for sure that one of the heralded two of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram would be a Laker and help to solidify the future core that the Lakers are seeking to build.

And so, draft day arrives and :

The obvious choice clearly , the 6’9 195 lethal weapon from Duke university by way of Kinston, North Carolina.

As a freshman at Duke , Ingram averaged 17 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 41 percent from beyond the 3 point line.

While Ingram was the big name , the Lakers second round draft choice was largely a mystery :

Flash forward to the NBA summer league in Las Vegas.

With the city essentially littered with Lakers fans, each game the Lakers stepped on the floor was largely reminiscent of a home game at Staples Center. And with a good portion of the Lakers projected future taking the summer league floor, Lakers fans, in essence, were getting a slight glimpse of what’s to come for the season.

For the most part it was a D’Angelo Russell clinic. He dominated for most of the time that he played and it was effortless. It was clear he was only participating in summer league for chemistry purposes.

While Russell dominated, there was a very interesting dynamic with the Rookies.

Brandon Ingram had a good first showing, debuting with 12 points, and showing off an impressive repertoire on offensive in the process :

In addition to this he proved that he is capable of using his 7’3 wing span to be an effective defender :

However after game one, while we all expected Ingram to shine, it was Ivicia Zubac that would more than pleasantly surprise all of Laker nation.

Games 2-5 of summer league Zubac was a dominant force in the paint showing an incredible defensive prowess and natural knack for shot blocking/changing and clogging the paint with his 7 foot frame:

In addition to this he sparked nostalgia with his traditional post moves and back to the basket game reminiscent of his idol Marc Gasol, while also showing he’s capable of knocking down the occasional 15-18 foot open jumper.

Zubac by far was the Lakers’ second most consistent player after D’Angelo Ruseell, and his numbers even exceeded those of a certain international stud you may have heard of last season :

https://twitter.com/darintellect/status/756283862741872640

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Zubac turns out to be a top 10 talent in this draft years from now. His skill at his size is something the NBA has missed for a long time and with proper development under Luke Walton, Zubac may very well be another second round steal for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Way to go, Mitch.

In the meantime, while Ingram struggled to shoot the he would still average 12 points 4 rebounds and 2 assist per game.

However, Ingram would win all of our hearts with an exceptional performance in the final game of summer league. With D’Angelo Russell sitting out of the final game, Ingram would put on a pure scorers clinic and did what we all hope to do in Las Vegas, get hot, cash out , and leave :

Though the Lakers lost that game Ingram showed us the total package and was sensational from start to finish
(Zubac had 7 Blocks aswell)

All this being said, summer league is really not the best place for rookie evaluation, being it that 70% of summer league participants are guys who are scratching for a NBA contract who will likely return to their over seas or semi pro teams for the upcoming season.

Ingram and Zubac both proved that not only do they belong, but they have the talents to contribute to something potentially special in Los Angeles.

The future was bright before, but one can only imagine the possibilities that lie ahead of the Lakers and all of their young talent.