The California Classic summer league tipped off on Monday with a contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. The Heat thoroughly outclassed Los Angeles. They jumped to a sizable early lead and cruised to a 107-90 victory.
It appeared they simply had better talent. Jaime Jaquez Jr., out of University of California, Los Angeles, had 22 points. Big man Nikola Jovic, who was an NBA rookie this past season, posted 21 points and eight rebounds.
A few players for Los Angeles showed some promise. The team will be back at it again on Wednesday when it takes on the San Antonio Spurs in its second and final contest of the California Classic.
Here are three players in particular that looked promising on Monday.
Jalen Hood-Schifino has intriguing potential
Hood-Schifino, the No. 17 pick in last month’s draft, looked a bit ragged early. He dropped a few nice assist attempts, but he was unable to hit shots. He went 0-of-5 from 3-point range, and he finished the first half 1-of-8 overall.
But the former Indiana University standout rebounded, going 5-of-11 in the second half. Overall, he notched five rebounds and four assists, although he also committed three turnovers.
Outside shooting is a concern for Hood-Schifino as is his ability to get to and finish near the hoop. But his mid-range game was on point, especially after halftime. A couple of times he did a good job of creating fast-break opportunities, showing he perhaps has more footspeed than previously thought.
Max Christie looks like the real deal
The incoming second-year man looked like he knew what he was doing on Monday. He went 6-of-11 from the field and scored 17 points, and he also added six rebounds, four assists and a steal.
He was 1-of-3 from downtown, but he was hitting from the perimeter. A few times, he even brought the ball upcourt and showed poise while doing so.
Christie has apparently added some bulk over the last few months, and that should help him defensively this season. Aside from consistently hitting treys, defense is the big question with him — his effort is excellent, but will he be ready to be effective on that end of the floor versus some of the NBA’s best wings?
Maxwell Lewis could be ready to contribute
Lewis, a 6-foot-7 wing from Pepperdine University, played just 16 minutes on Monday, but he showed some spark, scoring seven points on 2-of-4 field-goal shooting and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
He wasn’t that aggressive overall, but he dropped three assists.
The Lakers have been hungry for a true 3-and-D wing for some time. Although they agreed to sign Taurean Prince on Friday, Lewis developing into a legit player of that ilk would be a major boon for the Purple and Gold. He certainly has the athleticism and hops to do so.
