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Checking in on the Lakers’ Two-Way Rookies

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports
By Jordan Pagkalinawan | Last updated 1/2/24

The Lakers have been hard at work throughout their 2023-24 campaign, and the same goes for their G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. South Bay just wrapped up Winter Showcase play last week, going 8-8 in that span.

As the South Bay Lakers’ regular season continues, it’s worth looking at three players on Two-Way Contracts—Colin Castleton, Alex Fudge, and D’Moi Hodge—and examining how they’ve played so far.

Checking in on the Lakers’ Two-Way Rookies

Colin Castleton

A center who turned heads in Summer League, Colin Castleton is off to a great start in the G League. The 6-foot-11 center averaged 18.7 points and 11.4 rebounds in the Showcase. He also shot 60% from the field and 75% from the free-throw line. One of Castleton’s notable performances came against the G League Ignite on Nov. 25, when he recorded 27 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.

Castleton has steadily improved on both ends of the floor, proving he can dominate against G League competition. Aside from his ability to score and protect the rim (1.6 BPG), Castleton has also stood out as a playmaker, averaging 3.5 assists per game so far. He’s only played four games of garbage time for the LA Lakers, but he’s raised eyebrows with his efficiency in the G League. With the Lakers’ center position in flux behind Anthony Davis, it may be worth considering Castleton for some more opportunities with the purple and gold.

Alex Fudge

Former Florida wing Alex Fudge came into the league as a bit of a wild card. He displayed excellent athleticism but was also seen as a very raw prospect, ultimately going undrafted and landing with the Lakers via a training camp invite. Since joining the South Bay Lakers on a two-way deal, Fudge has found a solid role. He averaged 8.8 points per game in the G League Showcase on 48% shooting from the field and 33% from deep. However, he has made a bigger impact on defense, blocking nearly two shots per game. On Tuesday against the OKC Blue, Fudge soared in for a monster rejection—one of two he had that game.

Alex Fudge(@iam_AlexFudge) said nah, not today….. pic.twitter.com/M0k1xYvk1R

— GLeagueHub (@GLeagueHub) January 2, 2024

Fudge will surely continue to develop into a great role player. His solid start to the year could result in more minutes with the Lakers. For now, he’s put people on notice—and posters—with his elite bounce, and he’ll be appearing in more highlight reels as the G League season continues.

D’Moi Hodge

Finally, 6-foot-4 shooting guard D’Moi Hodge has seen the most NBA opportunities of the three, playing seven games under Darvin Ham. He got some playing time in LA’s loss to the Spurs on Dec. 15, tallying five points (2/3 FG, 1/2 3PT) and three assists in eight minutes. Hodge averaged 12.3 points in the G League Showcase on .397/.304/.853 splits—not great, but not terrible, either. His early highlight of the season came in a 35-point outburst against the Salt Lake City Stars on Dec. 1.

Hodge is known as a 3-and-D guard, and even garnered comparisons to ex-Laker Kentavious Caldwell-Pope over the summer. He’s displayed an impressive array of shooting and cutting on offense, while holding his own defensively (1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game in Showcase play). Hodge has a higher chance for increased opportunities with the Lakers, which would be helpful given their well-chronicled shooting woes. That case will only grow as Hodge continues to succeed with South Bay.

The Last Word

Overall, the Lakers’ two-way players have made good impressions at both the NBA and G League levels. As LA continues to find their footing at 17-17, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of them get a chance to play on the big stage sometime soon.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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