Cole Swider & DJ Steward Shine In California Classic Opener

The California Classic includes the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat along with the Lakers, and the four teams are set to play each other once.

Los Angeles took on Golden State for the first game of their exhibition slate and lost 89-84.

Cole Swider is back with the Lakers for his second Summer League stint and largely resembled the player the team has seen before. Swider provided some much-needed outside shooting for L.A., knocking down six of his eight attempts from distance en route to a team-high 24 points. He also added eight rebounds.

The Lakers were shorthanded for their opener as Bronny James and Eric Dixon sat out, creating more opportunities for players like DJ Steward. Steward went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, but landed in the G League where he’s played the past few seasons.

As a natural ball-handler and scorer, Steward lifted Los Angeles’ offense with a bevy of tough jumpers and drives to the rim. Steward largely played off the basketball, but got plenty of opportunities to create for himself and others with the shot clock dwindling down.

Steward was hot from the field in the first half, knocking down his first five shots for 14 points. The guard did slow down in the second half, though, as the Warriors focused their defensive attention on him. He finished the game with 20 points to go along with six assists and two rebounds.

Meanwhile, Dalton Knecht struggled heavily in the loss, shooting a paltry 3-of-13 from the field including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc. Knecht managed to partially salvage his performance with a couple of buckets at the rim near the end of the game, but ultimately finished with just 10 points.

Darius Bazley, like Knecht, had a rough offensive game as he scored 10 points on 2-of-8 shooting, though he showed out as a defensive playmaker. Bazley was able to disrupt the Warrior’ offense with his length, forcing several missed shots and deflections.

What’s next for the Lakers

The Lakers will continue their California Classic slate against the Miami Heat on Sunday before concluding festivities on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs. The team will then turn their attention to Las Vegas Summer League where they kick off the two-week event against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday.