Summer League is fun to watch because unproven players can make a name for themselves, and it appears the Los Angeles Lakers may have a few doing exactly that this year. One of them is two-way wing Chris Mañon, who spent the majority of his rookie season with the South Bay Lakers and was named to the G League All-Defensive First Team and was a runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year.
His defense is already at an NBA-level, so it is more about developing an offensive game for him to become a rotation piece for Los Angeles. But for Mañon, his focus is on being a winning player every time he steps out on the floor and there is no better place to do that than in L.A.
“I try to be a winning player every time I step on the court,” he said after the Summer League team’s win over the Dallas Mavericks. “I feel like that’s how I’ve made my money, I guess. So, whenever I get out there, I just play as hard as I can and usually good things happen when you do that.”
Defense is definitelt Mañon’s calling card as he always sets the tone with his tenacity. He knows that if he wants to make it in the NBA, he needs to be a dominant defender.
“I mean, if I want to play at the next level and get a better deal, I have to be a good defender, one of the best,” he admitted. “So, I think I’ve been pretty good but I could be better and I’m going to keep working on that for sure.”
Following a blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors to begin the California Classic, it has been four straight wins for Los Angeles, including two in Las Vegas. Mañon and the Lakers want to win every game but he thinks coming together as a team has resulted in this winning streak.
“We’re trying to win every game,” Mañon said. “I think guys are getting more comfortable, we’re learning each other, learning our tendencies and different guys are stepping up. Today, it was Arthur [Kaluma], P played very well too, Peter Suder. Different guys are stepping up, Cam [Carr] was out and different guys stepped up and I think that’s what makes a great team. So, we’re going to try and keep it going.”
As one of the returning players on this roster, the 24-year-old is embracing becoming a vocal leader for this Summer League squad.
“I guess, technically I’m the vet of the group. The coaches stress to me that I am the vet of the group and I try to be a leader whenever I can for sure. Even on the court, off the court, whatever the guys need I try to help them.”.
Chris Mañon views Alex Caruso & Jrue Holiday as players to emulate
Teams can never have enough defensive talent and especially for a Lakers team that is currently lacking in that department. As Mañon continues to work towards a standard contract, he shared that Jrue Holiday and former Lakers champion Alex Caruso are two players he emulates defensively.
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