Las Vegas Summer League 2016: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Utah Jazz Game Preview and Thread

Tonight the Utah Jazz lace them up for their last NBA Summer League game of 2016, and will be playing against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers Summer League team, with three 1st rounders and two #2 overall picks on it, was built for advancing a little farther in this tournament than just the third round. So it's a let down for them to be in the consolation rounds now. What's even more worrying to them is the fracture to Larry Nance Jr. -- as a result I don't think he's going to play tonight. The Utah Jazz are also likely to continue not playing Trey Lyles. But really, the Lakers have a very good, young team that they give minutes to.

Behold:

I don't know who is going to play tonight, nor do I know who will start. But it's clear that the Lakers are the better team and probably more motivated. They would be cautious to monitor the playing time of D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram though. If Nance can get an injury, there's no telling what will happen tonight. If I was them, I'd sit a lot of their better players.

For the Jazz, well, I think we get another okay game's worth of data in the Tibor Pleiss / Joel Bolomboy situation. They aren't directly competing against one another because their games are just so different; but I honestly think that the Jazz are game-planning for having to make tough choices in training camp. Mike Tobey is an interesting guy, and he made some great shots inside and then screwed up whatever progress he worked towards by bricking three straight 20 footers. (Shades of David Benoit) That was the last game, in this game if he can hit an outside shot that would really help his shot-chart a bit.

Looking at the guards, I really think we see Tyrone Wallace get some more run, he has the make the most of it though. In a way what we're seeing from him is shades of what we saw from Olivier Hanlan last season. Maybe a year playing professionally is what he needs to help settle his game down, and allow him to compete at the Las Vegas Summer League level? Marcus Paige is in a different situation though. I'd like to see him wear SLC Stars colors in the fall. But if he is picking anything up from vets Aaron Craft and Spencer Butterfield it's that there's greener pastures outside of the NBADL. Craft and Butters both have played in Europe and maybe that's where a number of our guys are headed after the summer is over.

I also expect to see a bit more of Shaquille McKissic and Shonn Miller tonight -- as opposed to Dionte Christmas and Treveon Graham. But that's only because with one game left you want as much data as possible on some of these guys with question marks to their games still.

Los Angeles should win this one. But I do want to see what our guys can do on the court. You have to finish strong, and for these players fighting for invites to training camp (here or abroad) they know that the scouts are watching. The pathetically uncoordinated bloggers are as well. Quincy Ford has gotten a long look, but I think he has something special in store for us tonight.

Calling it right now, he ends up shooting better than the 29 FG% he has accumulated so far this summer in SLC and LV.

Bad predictions aside, it's going to suck to now have to wait months and months for the next Jazz game. I've already loaded up a roster updated in NBA 2K to help with the lack of Jazz basketball.