KU Basketball: Landen Lucas makes impressive debut in Celtics Summer League
By trevb
Former KU Basketball big man Landen Lucas recently played in his first professional basketball game with the Boston Celtics. Coming off the bench, Lucas pulled off some impressive play with his minutes on the court.
Landen Lucas was always a consistent player down low for the Kansas Jayhawks, and now he is starting to find his spot in the NBA as well. To be honest, I was kind of skeptical about Lucas. Most of the KU big men do not find any footing in the NBA and eventually play overseas. Right now, however, Lucas is proving me completely wrong.
In his nine minutes off the bench, Lucas amassed four rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one great highlight block per NBA.com.
Landen Lucas with the rejection! pic.twitter.com/5QHvH8DXba
— Jayhawks In The NBA (@NBA_Jayhawks) July 4, 2017
With his limited minutes off the bench, Lucas is making some impressive statements towards the Celtics administration. If he continues this kind of consistent play, which is what he was known for in Lawrence, Lucas should be guaranteed a spot in the NBA. Coming from a four year career at KU, Lucas is the kind of player that is bundled with hard work ethic and respect.
Lets also not forget he was coached by one of the best in the college basketball game.
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In the short-term, Lucas should definitely see some added minutes in Summer League play with the Boston Celtics. He may even reach the starting lineup at some point. It all depends on what his ceiling is, because that will most likely play the biggest factor in his continued presence in the pro leagues.
As of now, Lucas is a high defensive threat with a knack for rebounding, his offense on the other hand may need more fine tuning to accommodate the present day NBA situation. These days, every player on the court must be able to have a certain skill set of offense weapons. Three point shooting being one of them. Even for the big men.
So, can Lucas adapt to the modern age of the NBA? I think he can. He has a certain talent that makes him a mobile big man. This talent makes him a huge defensive presence, and an athletic player. So I definitely think Lucas can adapt. It may take some time, which means an NBA team will need to invest in him for a long term solution, but his short term benefit is his current defense.
Where to Watch Landen Lucas Next in the Celtics Summer League
Lucas concludes his summer league games on Thursday, July 6 in Utah. So far Lucas has been squaring up against Clemson standout Jaron Blossomgame, Colorado freshman phenom Derrick White, and fellow in-state superstar Cleanthony Early from Wichita State testing his talent in the summer league.
One of the greatest accomplishments for a program is to see their committed four year players turn out to be great players in the NBA. Right now, Lucas may have a great shot at finding a position on the Celtics roster. Even with whatever colors Lucas wears in the NBA or if he ends up elsewhere, he will always be a Jayhawk. Rock Chalk!