Lakers vs. Knicks: Score, Reaction from Russell vs. Porzingis Showcase

The futures for the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks were on display in Monday's summer league showdown with D'Angelo Russell and Kristaps Porzingis on the court. It would be Porzingis getting the edge in performance with the Knicks winning 76-66. 

Even though Russell and Porzingis didn't match up one-on-one, it was evident right from the start that all eyes were going to be focused on the two star rookies. It was a mixed bag for the Lakers newbie, scoring eight points on 3-of-7 shooting with three rebounds, one assist and eight turnovers. 

Porzingis would do most of his damage early, finishing with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and adding three rebounds. 

This was the third game for Russell and second for Porzingis. The Knicks rookie has been more effective to this point, scoring 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting and grabbing three rebounds in a win over San Antonio. 

Knicks head coach Derek Fisher talked with Al Iannazzone of Newsday about the future role Porzingis will have with the team when he gets acclimated to the NBA style. 

"He'll have the ability to do more things offensively over time," Fisher said. "I thought in the spaces where we had the chance to be aggressive, we were aggressive. He got to the foul line. He's not afraid of contact. For a guy his size, that's really good to see."

That aggressiveness was on full display for Porzingis right out of the gate, as he scored five of the Knicks' first 15 points in less than five minutes, moving inside and out, before getting a break. 

Fisher's sentiments were echoed by Knicks president Phil Jackson, per Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal:

While not staying on that pace for the entire game, Porzingis did have strong moments getting to the hoop, via NBA TV:

Seth Rosenthal of Posting and Toasting mentioned that one thing Porzingis had going for him is his instincts:

Feel for the game and establishing position are two of the most underrated aspects of basketball. Raw talent is great to have, as Porzingis certainly does, but it means nothing if there's not an understanding of how to use it.

Another area where some feel Porzingis is improving, as pointed out by Rosenthal, has been his work on the defensive side: 

No one is going to expect Porzingis to be an instant superstar right away, but two summer league games thus far have shown the 19-year-old may not be as far off in his development as initially expected. 

Russell, taken second overall, struggled to find his shot by going 7-of-23 from the floor, but he made up for it with 13 rebounds and nine assists in two games. He didn't have as much success in the early going, though no one for the Lakers did, as they trailed 19-5 after the first quarter. 

Neither player would dominate the game like fans would hope in a battle featuring two marquee players, though Porzingis remained solid throughout. Russell is clearly still adjusting to his new league and surroundings. 

Even though Russell did struggle with his offensive game, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports noted the Lakers were out of sync for a specific reason:

Jordan Clarkson wanted to be the star on this night, attempting a game-high 14 shots, but only hitting three of them. Russell didn't help things with all of his turnovers, but there were other problems going on with the team. 

Silver Screen and Roll noted some of those problems:

It's easy to overreact with things that happen in the summer league, especially with rookies because it's the only visual evidence they have against NBA competition. Russell is going to start hearing criticism because of his low shooting percentage and high volume of turnovers. 

Porzingis is buying himself some leash with those New York fans who weren't happy with his selection as the fourth overall pick. 

Yet none of this ultimately defines what kind of player either will become. Both are still feeling out what they can and can't do, as well as building chemistry with their teams. Those things take time, especially when dealing with teenagers.