Lakers vs Cavaliers Summer League preview and Game Thread: Finishing strong in Vegas

The Lakers look to rewrite the story of their underwhelming summer stint so far by winning their second straight game

After five tries, the Lakers finally earned their first victory of the summer against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. They look to build off that and continue to finish their Summer League stint strong as they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

When: 6 p.m. PT, July 18

Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas

Watch: ESPN

The Lakers’ victory over the Hawks on Wednesday was a feel-good type of win for more than one reason. Not only did this team finally give us something to smile about but we saw Bronny James and Colin Castleton have their best performances of the summer. Everyone who also suited up, including most undrafted players, contributed to the successful comeback win.

It’s a relief for this team to head back home to Los Angeles knowing they didn’t further embarrass themselves with a winless summer stint. Now, it’s time to build off Wednesday’s victory and change the story of the summer with another feel-good win. This time, it’ll be against the Cavaliers who, like the Lakers, have only won one out of their three games in Vegas so far.

The Lakers’ No. 17 draft pick this year, Dalton Knecht, is expected to suit up for this one after sitting out Wednesday’s game against the Hawks. Knecht, who is averaging 22.0 points on 41.2% three-point shooting in Vegas, will once again be the focal point of the offense, so that’s something to look out for. This is another opportunity for the University of Tennessee product to prove further that he’s indeed ready for the NBA.

Then, there are the likes of Castleton and Maxwell Lewis, who have another chance to show how much they’ve truly developed in the last year. Castleton is coming off an impressive double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. It would be nice to see the Lakers’ two-way signee have the same impact again against Cavs sophomore big man Emoni Bates.

As for Lewis, the purple and gold’s 40th pick last season, this is his second to the last chance to have a breakout game. As I mentioned in my last preview, Lewis’s summer has been mediocre at best and that’s unfortunate because there were more expectations for him coming into this year’s Summer League. If he wants to stand out and make a name for himself just like what Lakers fans are hoping for him to do, now is the time for the Pepperdine alumni to make his presence felt.

Like Wednesday’s victory against the Hawks, this is another sizeable opportunity for the undrafted players to prove their worth. Can Blake Hinson string together two strong games after dropping 14 points against the Hawks? Will Armel Traore continue to show he can be an impactful player for the South Bay Lakers this season? Who else will show they’re worth a slot in the G-League team? We’ll know more about that in this game.

Let’s see if the Lakers can make it two wins in a row against the Cavaliers on Thursday.

Notes and Updates

• Thursday’s game against the Cavs isn’t the last one yet for the summer as the Lakers are scheduled to face the Chicago Bulls on Saturday to conclude their trip to Las Vegas.
• We’ll be live on Playback for this one, so be sure to join us to watch along!

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.