Summer School

Expressionless, Mitch Kupchak looked on from the Long Beach State stands July 16 as the summer-league Lakers played the Warriors.

Then Luke Walton, the Lakers’ second-round draft pick, intercepted a Mike Dunleavy pass, put the ball on the court and began a fastbreak the other way.

“Six-eight like that, versatile,” the Laker general manager blurted, sitting up in his seat and offering a moment of unprompted exclamation.

Walton played 30 minutes 32 seconds that game, finishing with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists. A Luke Walton kind of line.

Which is to suggest that what the Lakers have in Walton and first-round selection Brian Cook -- both starters in all seven Pro Summer League games -- is more or less what they expected. Maybe more.

Walton is a confident ballhandler, often pushing the ball upcourt off rebounds, and a savvy playmaker (he had 10 assists against the Clippers on July 12.).

“Luke can score, but it’s not what he does best,” Kupchak said. “We’ve seen he can guard, rebound, bring the ball up the court. A player like that is very necessary in what we do.”

Kupchak likened Walton to a bigger Rick Fox, though not as quick. The Lakers list Walton as 6 feet 8, 245 pounds. Fox is 6-7, 235.

Cook, compared to Phoenix’s Shawn Marion by Laker assistant Tex Winter, proved to be the shooter the scouting reports advertised. He shot frequently and effectively, often from the 15- to 18-foot range, making 53% of 78 attempts.

He surprised the Lakers with his ballhandling skills, better than assistant coach Jim Cleamons figured them to be. Cleamons also enjoyed seeing Cook challenge for offensive rebounds. Cleamons said Cook averaged only one offensive rebound in college. He increased that to 2.6 in Long Beach.

Asked what he can improve, Cook at first said, “I’m very positive about things, man, so I’m not disappointed in anything.”

Later, he added, “There are still things I know I can do better, like getting to spots, executing, listening to more detail.”

The Lakers required attentiveness during their 10-day summer-league involvement, drilling the triangle offense into the players in all of three practices. Cook and Walton looked among the most comfortable, generally popping to the proper spots and delivering the ball to the designed location. On occasion, they called out teammates for being out of position.

“It was more complex” than expected, Walton said. “They still say we haven’t covered nearly all the stuff. Now I can sit back and think, go over different things, diagram plays on notebook paper while I’m sitting around and in my head try to visualize where you go at different positions when the ball gets there.”

Walton needs to work on his speed on defense and outside shot.

The team eventually might tinker with the way he releases his shot, holding the ball with his right hand turned in.

Cook needs to strengthen his 6-10, 240-pound body.

“He’s not soft,” Kupchak stressed. “He needs to get stronger.

“Hopefully, that will happen naturally. He doesn’t necessarily need to gain weight.”