On the first night of the NBA 2k25 Summer League, fans will see the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Houston Rockets.
The Lakers have already started their Summer League journey when they competed in the California Classic. Unfortunately, they ended the Classic with a 0-3 in the standings. Their last game was a loss to the Miami Heat. Rookie Dalton Knecht had a standout game as he scored 20 points to go along with nine boards. G League player Colin Castleton also played well with 18 points and eleven boards.
The Rockets have yet to play a Summer League game, as they did not participate in the California Classic or the Salt Lake City League. Houston has an interesting roster, as they chose to include Cam Whitmore. Whitmore is averaging 12.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in the NBA. It’s strange for them to include him on the team, as he has already shown great promise. One would think they wouldn’t want to risk injury.
Can the Lakers finally get a win, or will the Rockets take flight in their first game of the summer?
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets Game Details
Fixture: Houston Rockets @ Los Angeles Lakers
Date and Time: July 12th @ 7:30 pm ET
Location: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV
Network: ESPN
Summer League Team Review
Los Angeles Lakers
It’s been a bit of a bummer summer for this Lakers team so far. The chances that they turn things around might be small, as it seems like their roster is just not getting it together. Tommy Kuhse played for 32 minutes in his last game and only managed to score nine points. He had five assists, but still this isn’t great.
To follow this, Bronny James had a 28-minute night that only added up to three points. He contributed in rebounds grabbing five and he also managed two steals and three blocks. However, he has holes in his defensive game, as there are already multiple clips of him getting his ankles twisted and struggling to fill in gaps off the ball.
Houston Rockets
Rockets fans can look forward to seeing the No. 3 overall draft pick, Reed Sheppard, make his debut in the NBA 2k25 Summer League. The Kentucky Wildcats guard ended his 2023-24 season with 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He should be a great asset to this young Houston team. It will be interesting to see if he makes a big splash this summer or falls flat.
Another player to watch is undrafted N’Faly Dante. He finished up his time in college with the Oregon Ducks and made some clear improvements in the 2023-24 season. He ended his college career with 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. He could be a great pickup as a solid young center for some teams if he can translate his college game to the NBA.
Possible Breakout Players of the Game
Los Angeles Lakers
Tommy Kuhse has struggled in a few games now, but I can’t see this lasting. The guard has been playing pro ball in Germany for Rasta Vechta and ended up being their lead scorer with 17.9 points per game and led in assists with 5.8 per game. The assists are still coming as he had five in his last game against the Heat, but the scoring has been down. Kuhse should be expected to play better in the NBA 2k25 Summer League.
Houston Rockets
AJ Griffin could have a breakout game in this Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets game. Griffin has gotten his feet wet in the league already with the Atlanta Hawks. He’s had a tough time scoring wise, however, this Summer League game could help in his improvement.
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