LAS VEGAS – Through four Summer League games in Sin City, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to be head-and-shoulders above the rest of the competition.
The Lakers remained perfect in their Vegas campaign on Thursday, beating the Chicago Bulls (1-3) 105-82 at Thomas & Mack Center to improve to 4-0 — punching their ticket into Saturday’s semifinals.
One win away from the championship game, the Lakers’ opponent is still to be determined. However, thanks to their togetherness and commitment to prioritize team success over individual accolades, they will like their chances against anyone.
“[The team] has been great. They make my job easy,” Summer League head coach Ty Abbott said. “I asked these guys in the first team meeting to have a collective commitment to the team, and that [was going to] require some sacrifices for some guys. Guys playing different roles. Some guys have never not played as much as they are in this setting.
“But the connection with the team, their ability to support each other, to push each other in practice, they have done that consistently since the beginning. I think that has probably been the biggest factor in why we are playing the way we are.”
As has been the case most of the summer, it doesn’t really matter what lineup Abbott has out there — the return has remained the same. The win against the Bulls was another example of that.
The Lakers gave an 11-man rotation extended minutes, and Chicago was out of the game before the fourth quarter began.
The Purple-and-Gold shared the wealth on offense with second-year undrafted guard Chris Manon leading the way with 16 points and six rebounds on an efficient 5-for-7 shooting. Rookie first-rounder Cameron Carr and sophomore Arthur Kaluma chipped in with 14 points apiece.
“I feel like [we play] pride-less basketball and that’s hard to find,” Carr said. “I think off the court, us connecting, talking as teammates, we just let it roll. We know where we stand and let our games flourish.
“Nobody has to play outside of themselves and do something they’re not comfortable with. Just play inside your bubble and be elite in your role.”
It will come as a delight for Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick that this Summer League squad has potential ‘stars in their roles’ aplenty. It is then up to Redick how he wants to plug the gaps on a roster that is still under construction following the departure of LeBron James.
Sophomore Adou Thiero looks poised for a breakout after a quiet rookie year. He had another productive outing against the Bulls, posting 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Five of his boards came on the offensive end.
Kaluma went 2-for-5 from three-point range and added four rebounds and three dimes. Zhaire Smith dropped 11 points on 5-for-8 FG. Undrafted veteran Jon Elmore buried three of four attempts from beyond the arc en route to 11 points and five assists.
Manon paced the team in scoring at half-time and at the end of regulation. He continues to flash gem-like tendencies — similar to those the Lakers found in Alex Caruso way back when, and Austin Reaves more recently.
Manon said that while he has a level of comfort making on-ball decisions and scoring, he knows his bread and butter in the league will have to be his defense. With that said, he takes pride in his defensive capabilities. He believes that should an elevated role come his way, he has All-NBA potential on that side of the floor.
Both teams shot the ball poorly early. The Lakers were 1-for-8 from three in the first quarter — 35 percent from the floor. The Bulls went 0-for-8 from beyond the arc in the frame, allowing Los Angeles to take a 19-16 lead into the second.
From there, things only got better for the Lakers. Their lead swelled up to 56-40 at the break, and they blew the game wide open with a 27-14 third quarter. That included a 17-2 run to start the period.
Carr rose up for an emphatic dunk, and Thiero and Manon each swished a triple, putting the Lakers ahead 73-42 with 4:34 remaining. Elmore then beat the buzzer with a three-ball, giving LA a 29-point advantage going into the fourth.
The Bulls would never find their groove. They ended the game 3-for-33 from deep. Rookie No. 4 overall pick Caleb Wilson was a lone bright spot as he led all scorers with 21 points on 7-for-15 FG. He also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out two assists while turning the ball over eight times.