The Lakers tipped off their summer of developmental basketball with a 100-66 win over Miami in the first game of the California Classic at San Francisco’s Chase Center on Saturday afternoon.
L.A.’s group of young players – featuring five guys from their South Bay Lakers G League squad – had a considerable continuity advantage over Miami, and controlled the game from start to finish.
“They just competed at the highest level,” said Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, who’s handling head coaching duties for the Classic. “Summer league, you try to get these guys to play hard and play together, and for their first game, I thought they did pretty good.”
Scoring efficiently on one end operating out of Darvin Ham’s four-out, one-in system that will be implemented for the senior squad, the Lakers shot 47.1 percent from the field, including nine of 26 from three, and attempted 32 free throws (making 27) to Miami’s 19.
“Three days of practice, you try to give them a structure, and Darvin’s offense was built around a lot of what we did,” Handy continued. “One of the things we talked about before the game was, ‘How many times can we get three stops in a row,’ and they really dug into the defensive side and just tried to compete, made them take tough shots.”
That defense was anchored by center Jay Huff – who had two blocks, and numerous contests at the rim – as the Lakers shut down the paint, holding the Heat to 22 interior points on the evening. They also competed well on the perimeter, led by No. 35 pick Max Christie.
Though he struggled with his shot early, Christie scored five straight points in the fourth quarter, and had a team-high nine boards with three assists. But he was very noticeable on the defensive end, the 19-year-old giving Heat players trouble on the perimeter, and helping his teammates from the weak side when off the ball.
“Max is really long, he’s really athletic and he can effect a lot of shots,” said Lakers two-way signee Cole Swider, who started on the wing alongside Christie. “He can get up on guys and pressure them because he’s really good laterally, really good using his body and hands. Max is learning each and every day, and is obviously a very versatile defender.”
“Max is going to be great,” said Handy. “His first NBA-type game after being drafted, sometimes guys have a bit of nervousness. But I was just talking to Max about being a dog. I made the comment about him reminding me of Doug Christie – people don’t remember what type of player he was. When he was in Sacramento, Doug was a high-level, versatile guy that could defend, play offense. I see Max in that wheelhouse of being able to do a plethora of things. He had some great looks, just want him to stay aggressive.”
If Christie started slowly with his shot, Swider did not. The sharpshooter was highly efficient on on Saturday. A 40-plus percent 3-point shooter at Syracuse his last two seasons who impressed throughout practice last week with his quick, smooth release, Swider hit 5 of 7 FG’s, including three triples, towards 13 points.
“I think I turned down some shots, too,” said Swider. “I definitely got more comfortable as the game went on, and I think I can show more parts of my game. It’s a learning process like anything … I’m more than a catch-and-shoot shooter, and in the NBA you gotta be more than a catch-and-shoot guy, otherwise they’ll just take you away from the beginning.”
Fellow two-way player Scotty Pippen Jr. added 12 points with six boards and three assists, getting to the free throw line eight times to make up for a slow shooting night (2 for 8).
The Lakers started the game on a 7-0 run and never looked back, leading 25-9 after Mason Jones – who finished third in G League MVP voting last season – capped a run with two free throws. Miami managed a pair of threes late in the quarter to pull within 12 at 29-17, but they wouldn’t get within single digits for the rest of the game.
L.A. quickly pushed the lead back into very comfortable territory with a run to start the second quarter, as Paris Bass and Mac McClung, fellow SBL alums, combined for several of their eventual 32 combined points off the bench. A 22-10 quarter had L.A. up 51-27 at the half.
The second quarter also saw the first example of the new “Take Foul" rule, where a foul in the open court that disrupts a transition play gives the offended team one free throw plus the basketball (the Heat committed one on the Lakers).
Christie continued his strong individual on-ball defense in the third quarter by forcing a contested two from Miami’s Mychal Mulder, with MIA eventually finishing the game shooting only 28 percent.
The third quarter margin was 19-14, and fourth 30-25, as the Lakers were able to coast to a win.
Up next on Sunday afternoon is a 4:30 p.m. contest against Golden State.