Warriors vs. Lakers: Can Jacob Evans III keep it up?

NBA free agency has been wild so far, especially for Golden State Warriors fans. In just 48 hours, the Warriors lost Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, and Jordan Bell, but gained D’Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Glenn Robinson III, while re-signing Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney.

Whew. Need a break from all that madness?

Might I suggest . . . uhh . . . Warriors basketball?

Just one day after the start of free agency, Summer League began. The Warriors are currently partaking in the California Classic, and on Monday night they lost to the host Sacramento Kings.

Tonight they look for their first win of the season, as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 6:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2.

Perhaps the biggest thing to watch is second-year wing Jacob Evans III, who looked very good in Monday’s opener. Evans led the Warriors with 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting, including 2-for-3 from deep. He also had five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

Can he build on that strong performance, and work towards earning a role in his second year, after a rather lackluster rookie campaign?

And can rookie Alen Smailagic do more of this?

The results aren’t meaningful, but the games still are. With how many veteran players the Warriors have lost - through trades, free agency, and injury - they’ll be relying on youngsters such as Evans, Smailagic, Eric Paschall, Jordan Poole, Damian Jones, and Ky Bowman.

Now’s a chance for those players to develop further, and start earning roles.