Can Maxwell Lewis have a sophomore jump?

After a rookie season that largely played out behind the scenes and in the G League, Maxwell Lewis will need to make a jump for the Lakers this season.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we'll be writing columns every weekday, breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we take a look at Maxwell Lewis.

The enemy of good is okay. Once you start making concessions on quality, it isn't long before okay becomes bad and before you know it, you are dissatisfied with everything.

In his rookie season, the expectations for Maxwell Lewis were low.

He wasn't going to play much with the Lakers and it would be a year of G League development. That's exactly what happened, as he participated in 34 NBA games, but his minutes came exclusively in garbage time and he never cracked double-digit minutes in any game.

He showed more of what he can potentially contribute for the South Bay Lakers, averaging 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and two assists per game.

The question is, can he land closer to that G League production in the NBA, or is he destined for another year when he will be glued to the Lakers bench?

What is his best-case scenario?

It would be ideal if Lewis could follow the Max Christie timeline. That means that this season, Lewis plays a shift or two when he participates in Laker games and is a player who fans claim should be playing more.

To do that, he'll need to be a versatile scorer from the wing and give a strong defensive effort against the NBA's best perimeter players.

The Lakers seemed focused on creating an environment where young players like Lewis can blossom. They've hired Ty Abbott as director of player development and have a new South Bay Lakers coach in Zach Guthrie.

If Lewis capitalizes on the Lakers' investment in him, he'll look sensational for South Bay and perform well in the handful of games he plays with the senior team.

What is his worst-case scenario?

Hope is a dangerous drug we all consume much too often. If Lewis stays static in his development, then the truth might be he isn't the wing of the future. Instead, he's one of the thousands of second round draft picks that don't stay in the league.

In this scenario, Lewis rarely gets any playing time and looks fine in the G League, but nothing that really stands out or gives you a feeling that he deserves a bigger role for the Lakers.

By the end of the year, Lewis won't be one of the young Lakers core players you hope can usher in a new era for this franchise but will instead be seen as an investment from the past that never materialized.

The Lakers initially signed Lewis to a four-year contract, but there are some caveats in his deal. For one, his contract is only guaranteed for $100,000 next season. He also has a team option for the 2026-27 season, so decisions are coming for Lewis.

What is his most likely role on the team?

I don't believe Lewis be 2023-24 Christie good, nor do I expect him to be 2023-24 Lewis bad.

He won't play much for the Lakers unless the roster is absolutely decimated from injuries, so I expect a few more games compared to last year, with a couple of bright spots and an equal amount of disappointing minutes.

When this year is over, I want to see that Lewis took positive steps forward. Not all progress is linear, but the arrow has to start pointing up and given how little he played as a rookie, improvement is achievable and expected.

The Pepperdine alumnus can eventually become a rotation player for a historic franchise he grew up loving. Or he can become a journeyman bouncing around the G League and two-way contracts as his basketball career circles the drain.

This season will go a long way in determining which path he takes.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.