Colin Castleton impresses again as Lakers beat Hornets

After picking up their first win of the summer against the Warriors, the Lakers’ Summer League squad is beginning to show signs of cohesion and promise, a trend that continued as they knocked off the Charlotte Hornets, 93-75, on Sunday.

One of the standouts of the summer continues to be Colin Castleton. The undrafted center, who currently is signed a two-way deal, has impressed with his ability to facilitate in the halfcourt, score efficiently, battle on boards and be a deterrent at the rim.

He got off to a hot scoring start against Charlotte as 10 of his 21 points came in the first quarter alone where he made his first five shots from the field. Castleton once again stuffed the stat sheet as he also finished with 14 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

On a Lakers’ team that is currently thin at center, Castleton may put himself in strong consideration to get some playing time if his play carries over into training camp and beyond.

The win also featured another strong showing from the team’s first-round pick, Jalen Hood-Schifino.

After an inefficient scoring night against Golden State, the 20-year-old bounced back with 15 points (5/10 from the field) and once again flashed a mature floor game as he scored and dished out of the pick-and-roll with poise.

It’s easy for teams and players to get disorganized in a Summer League setting, but what has stood out most about Hood-Schifino has been his ability to set the table (5 assists) whenever he’s had the ball in his hands, a rarity for someone his age and especially given he’s playing with guys that have little experience with one and other.

The Lakers’ other two-way player, D’Moi Hodge, also continues to turn heads this summer. Once again getting the nod in the starting lineup, Hodge finished with 16 points and 5 rebounds. He was a catalyst in getting the team out in transition and was a pest on defense (2 blocks and a steal).

Although it was arguably the worst shooting game for Max Christie, he still showed off the benefits of his improved frame as he was a key part in holding the No. 2 pick Brandon Miller to an extremely rough outing (4/16 shooting).

Overall, it was the team's best performance collectively as the young players are showing the exact potential you want to see on this stage.

Next up, the Lakers take on the Boston Celtics on Wednesday.

You can follow Alex on Twitter at @AlexmRegla.