As we wrapped up 5 games of the Summer League showcase in Las Vegas, the Lakers’ draft picks have been in rare form for everyone to see.
For much of the summer league, Devin Ebanks & Derrick Caracter hold the number 1 and 2 spot in the NBA’s Rookie Rankings, respectively.
Ebanks, a 6-9 small forward, was the 43rd pick in the 2010 draft last month. Coming out of West Virginia, he was known as a bit of a defensive stopper.
But he’s shown a bit of a scorer’s mentality in these four games of the summer league. He’s logged in 2 games for 20-plus points and another for 12.
I believe what caught my attention was his ability to perform a step-back jumper. He performed it quite often, particularly in the first 3 games. Another key in the summer league for Ebanks was his 3-point shooting. Averaging 45 percent from the arc, its evident he could be reliable on a catch-and-shoot basis.
His game is certainly reminiscent of former Lakers forward Trevor Ariza. His athletic build and long arms can help provide matchup advantages for the already lengthy Laker team.
His downside may be his strength. He’s not a guy who’s going to out-muscle players like LeBron James, Gerald Wallace, or even Blake Griffin. But he still shows he can keep up with the small forward and shooting guard spot as well as anyone in summer league.
Next: Derrick Caracter
Derrick Caracter is a player out of UTEP. He averaged about 15 points and 8.6 boards on 59 percent shooting.
Caracter, interesting enough, was 300 pounds during his collegiate career. But since then, has slimmed down to 270. And its certainly showed. One thing you’ll notice about him is his footwork.
Caracter seems to know where he needs to be to score. On the left side of the paint is where he did the most damage. A move I noticed was his ability to fake his matchup and sets his feet into the middle of the post for a jumpshot.
His downside is definitely his size. At 6-9, being a power forward that has to go against the Bosh’s, Garnett’s, and Duncan’s of the league will be a test. Also, he maybe pressed for minutes as he starts out. But will likely take over Josh Powell’s minutes.
As NBA.com’s Art Garcia called him ‘a steal’ and that his game reminds him of ‘Big Baby, but more polished’. That’s a good sign for a second round player.
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins lived up to their hype during the summer league. But it was Caracter who caught the attention of many spectators, being considered the number three talent in the NBA’s top 5 summer league rookies.
It seems as though the Lakers have keepers in these young draft picks. And this should be an exciting training camp for them.
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