Former Lakers fan-favorite pinpoints key development in G League
03/29/2025 05:02 PM
LOS ANGELES – When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Quincy Olivari to a two-way contract ahead of the 2024-25 season, it was met with positive reaction from the fanbase. Olivari had endeared himself to Laker Nation following a strong preseason performance after a viral media day photo with LeBron James. The Lakers ultimately cut Quincy Olivari, in favor of Trey Jemison III when they need frontcourt help, and the rookie guard has been developing in the G League.
Quincy Olivari has shared the backcourt with Bronny James with the South Bay Lakers in the G League for most of this season, even when he was on a two-way contract. While in the G League, it’s been about finding the balance between scoring and playmaking that Olivari has been tasked with.
Following South Bay’s final home game of the regular season, Olivari acknowledged that playmaking is one of the things he wants to work on in the offseason, while speaking about how much it’s grown from this season alone.
“Seeing a low man coming off the ball screen, where’s the low man, where’s the help coming from, watching film before the game, how does a team play if they like to blitz, always looking for the short roll or just the easy pass. If they like to switch instead of coming off the screen and blasting out,” Olivari said. “Most of the time I have a five on me, he can’t guard me foot speed-wise.”
“When I get downhill, continue to make the right play off a rotation,” Olivari continued. “If they’re just in a drop, just slow my mind down. It’s all about just letting the game slow down in my mind.”
In South Bay’s most recent game, a 127-123 win against the Iowa Wolves, Olivari had a triple double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and ten assists.
Quincy Olivari’s development in G League
After the Lakers cut Olivari, he’s played full-time in the G League for the South Bay Lakers. He’s appeared in 39 total games during both the G League Showcase Cup portion of the schedule and the regular season.
Olivari has averaged 17.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 40 percent shooting from the field, 35.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 78.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
When Olivari was still on the Lakers roster, he appeared in only two games, getting his first NBA career points on Dec. 8 against the Portland Trail Blazers.
This year, Olivari displayed a strong off the dribble game, but finishing once he gets to the basket was something he knows he needs to improve, among other things in the offseason.
“Finishing around the basket for sure,” Olivari said. “Teams are always going to have a [seven] footer most of the time, so finishing around the basket, continuing being consistent with that and then playmaking. And also movement threes.”
There’s no question that Olivari has shown enough in the G League this season to earn a spot in NBA Summer League with a team. From there it’s all about another camp invite and ultimately making an NBA regular season roster.
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