Rookie forward Julius Randle is eager to show the Lakers they made a smart choice by taking him seventh in the NBA Draft in June. (Thomas R. Cordova/Staff Photographer)
A mark of the sign of the Lakers’ current demise that coach Byron Scott suddenly looked ahead to the team’s summer league squad in mid-February. But Scott revealed something far more notable than anything surrounding when the Lakers (13-41) host the Boston Celtics (20-32) at Staples Center. Scott said that Lakers rookie forward will “definitely” play on the Lakers’ 2015 Las Vegas Summer League team.
The Lakers’ summer league team will also feature rookie guard Jordan Clarkson and up to four rookies, including a possible top-five pick, a mid first-round pick and two possible second-round selections.
“I already told Julius and Jordan,'” Scott said, “you guys should dominate.”
Randle became sidelined for most of the 2014-15 campaign after fracturing his right leg in the Lakers’ season opener. After having two surgeries both to repair his leg and to replace a screw in his right foot, Randle has since progressed in his rehab where he no longer needs crutches and a walking boot. Randle was at the Lakers’ practice facility in El Segundo walking on an elliptical machine, though he was not made available to reporters.
But a Lakers spokesman tempered the expectations on Randle’s availability for Summer League, saying the team feels “optimistic” before noting how hard it is to project something four months from now. Within the last couple of days, Randle has walked on a weight-bearing treadmill at about 60 percent of his body weight.
Clarkson averaged 15.8 points on 42.4 percent shooting and 1.2 assists, though he has started in the Lakers’ pass 11 regular-season games with a 13.3 points on a 40.5 percent clip and 3.9 assists. Randle averaged 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Scott believes that assistant Larry Lewis will coach the Lakers Summer League team, which will also feature a possible top-five pick, a mid first-round pick, two second draft selections and rookie center Tarik Black. Scott sounded unsure if third-year center Robert Sacre or second-year forward Ryan Kelly will play.
“I don’t think so as of right now. But I really don’t know yet,” Scott said. “A lot of it depends on how many these guys we draft and keep. You don’t want a ton of these guys because you don’t get a look at the guys you really want to get a good look at because they don’t get a chance to play as many minutes as you want to.”
As for what Scott wants to see from Randle and Clarkson?
“They have to play a ton of minutes in the summer league because we want them to continue to develop,” Scott said. “We’ll give whoever we draft an opportunity as well to start learning the system and things we’re going to be doing in training camp and the season.”
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