The NBA Summer League got off to a bit of a rough start for the Los Angeles Lakers and their talented young squad. First, Brandon Ingram goes down with what was called a “cramping leg” ruling him out for the rest of Summer League and then Lonzo Ball’s debut was less than stellar going 2-for-15 from the field.
As if those two things weren’t bad enough, the team has dropped both of their first two games after many considered the Lakers to be favorites to come out on top in Summer League play this year. Although things haven’t gone as planned thus far, Magic Johnson remains optimistic and continues to sing the praises of Ingram, via SB Nation’s Kristian Winfield:
Magic Johnson on Brandon Ingram: "This is a guy we're gonna build around. This is a guy we feel has All-Star potential."
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) July 9, 2017
In his only during Summer League, Ingram started right where he left off at the end of last season. The Lakers forward scored 26 points and impressed those in attendance at the packed Thomas & Mack Center as well as those that tuned in to watch the duo of Ball and Ingram.
It comes as no surprise that Magic and the Lakers brass are so high on the 19-year-old as he continues to get better while showing he may indeed be the new face of the franchise for many years to come.
As for Ball, after shaking off a bad debut, the UCLA product put on a show against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night recording a triple-double. The rookie point guard was all over the floor and began to show how he can make his teammates better with an incredible passing ability.
Despite the slow start to Summer League, these young Lakers have shown flashes of potential and bright future ahead.