Over the last couple of years, the Los Angeles Lakers have added some young promising talent through the draft that in itself has brought forth much optimism surrounding the future of the franchise.
Following the addition of LeBron James on a four-year, $153 million deal, general manager Rob Pelinka brought up the fact the four-time league MVP spoke highly of second-year guard Josh Hart due to his strong play in summer league (h/t Mike Trudell of Lakers.com):
“It was all business. We talked about the roster. The work he’s already putting in and how he’s going to bring that work ethic to everyone on the team. He’s been watching summer league games, brought up Josh Hart. There’s not a lot of fanfare. He’s not looking to celebrate signing, he’s looking to celebrate championships and he made that real clear.”
Hart has been a major bright spot in the summer league through the first two games, averaging 21.5 points per contest. He has shown promising growth in his game as a more efficient 3-point shooter while displaying versatility defensively with his improved ability to keep up with opposing backcourt players.
The 23-year-old was one of the Lakers' several promising draft picks last year. In Hart's first NBA campaign, he proved himself to be a strong asset on both ends of the floor with solid decision-making, versatile scoring, and a knack for grabbing tough rebounds. In 63 games played, Hart averaged 7.9 points on 46.9 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from beyond the arc along with 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
James has quickly become acquainted with the young talent that he will play alongside next season, which could see Hart as well as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Kyle Kuzma in major roles.
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