The Los Angeles Lakers played their third of five games in the Las Vegas Summer League on Friday night and hung on to beat the L.A. Clippers in a close affair.
Throughout the Lakers’ Summer League games, the team’s unquestioned leader has been Devontae Cacok as the former two-way player is the only one of the roster with NBA experience.
In addition to leadership, Cacok is also showing other stuff he’s added to his game such as 3-point shooting and playmaking. In Las Vegas, he’s leading the Lakers in scoring at 13.0 points per game to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.7 steals.
After the win over the Clippers, he spoke about his desire to show the Lakers and other NBA teams what he has added to his game.
“Yeah, I’m trying to show a little for sure,” Cacok said. “I’m trying to show that I can guard 1-5, be smart, make plays and just play basketball, help our team win, put my team in positions to win and I’m just trying to do my best with that.”
Shooting from beyond the arc is not something Cacok had previously done but he’s currently taking two attempts per game and making 33% of his shots.
“Showing that I’ve been working on my range and playing good defense,” Cacok said of what he’s been working on leading up to Summer League. “I got to stay solid and just make smart plays, show that I can make plays on the offensive end as well, I feel that I’ve shown that as well.”
Cacok also credited his teammates as far as getting open on cuts, which has helped him become a better playmaker.
“Having the teammates that I have, they make it a lot easier for me when they cut hard every time. Austin Reaves, we kind of have a connection. Me and [Trevelin Queen], we’ve had it a couple times, me and Ayayi, we’ve had a couple moments as well and they just make it easy for me. They cut hard, I make the play, I just want to show that as well.”
Crawford believes Cacok is NBA player
Cacok’s two-way contract expired after last season so his future with the organization and NBA as a whole are in jeopardy. Lakers Summer League coach Quinton Crawford believes he is an NBA player though, speaking to everything Cacok has given his team this summer.
“I’m super impressed by Devontae Cacok. I’m asking him to do multiple things that he’s not used to doing. I want him to lead, I want him to be a playmaker, I want him to get to the basket and get fouled, I want him to screen better. I’m asking him to do a million things and he’s doing it. He knows that he has to do multiple things in order to have a chance in this league and I’m a big believer in Devontae Cacok and I challenge him to do all these things and have an expanded role in the Summer League and he’s taken it on and done a tremendous job for me. So I believe in him and think he’s an NBA player. He always accepts the challenge and plays hard and that’s one thing I demand from him is to play hard and play with a purpose and that’s what he’s been doing.
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