Lakers Fall to the Warriors In First Summer League Game
The Lakers opened their first summer league game with a loss against the Golden State Warriors. The biggest takeaway from the game was Dalton Knecht struggling to shoot the ball. At times, it looked like he was just there doing cardio, running up and down the court. Knecht scored 10 points and made no three-pointers. While he looked more aggressive in the last quarter, by then it was too late, as the Warriors never let their foot off the gas the whole game.
Fans online after the game speculated if Knecht should be involved in the NBA Summer League. Some said it would hurt his value if any trade talk were to commence. Knecht had a very good season on the main roster during the NBA regular season, and the Summer League just started. That type of talk is premature, and this would be an opportunity for him to show people why he scored a 40-point game in college.
The real star of the game for the Lakers was Cole Swider. Swider went undrafted in the 2022 NBA Draft and was eventually waived by the Lakers' G League team a while later. Three years later, he found himself back on the roster and made his presence known. He scored 24 points and made a timely three late in the fourth quarter to bring the Lakers closer to beating the Warriors in late regulation. Swider capped it off with eight rebounds in the game as well. DJ Steward, the team's guard, also chipped in nicely with 20 points and six assists.
The final missing takeaway was that Bronny James did not suit up to play in the game. Many expect him to play for the Lakers' matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on July 10th. That matchup will see Cooper Flagg go against the best of the Lakers' rookies and second-year players. The next matchup for the Lakers Summer League team will be July 6th against the Miami Heat. I predict Knecht will have a better game, and Swider will continue to showcase his talents in hopes of making a roster spot.
