Kobe Bryant is ready to dominate on the court and Steve Nash looks as healthy as he ever has with the LA Lakers, the whispers have been trickling out of El Segundo.
Both Bryant and Nash played 5-on-5 basketball at the Lakers’ South Bay facility recently, and both aging superstars made positive impressions.
As an added insurance policy, exactly one week before players had to report for Media Day, the Lakers signed another guard. Wayne Ellington may not be a marquee name, but he has five years of experience in the NBA and came from a good college program—University of North Carolina. With Jeremy Lin, Jordan Clarkson (rookie), Nick Young, Xavier Henry, Ellington, Bryant and Nash, the Lakers should be all set with regards to back court depth—baring the reemergence of the Black Death, which killed the 2013-14 Lakers.
Along with the aforementioned list of Lakers guards, the team also announced the additions of Jabari Brown and Keith Appling to its training camp roster. Brown was an undrafted rookie who played alongside Clarkson at the University of Missouri. The 6-foot 5-inch guard averaged 19.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in his final year of amateur basketball.
Over the summer, Brown played with the Houston Rockets’ NBA Summer League team but was unable to find his touch from beyond the arc. He shot a dismal 19.2 percent from distance, which was a sharp drop from the 41 percent he shot during his senior year at Missouri.
Appling, who also an undrafted rookie, shot 45 percent from the field and averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in his final collegiate season at Michigan State University. Even if he impresses at camp, the 6-foot 1-inch point guard has a tall tower to climb before he can earn the final spot on a squad already overflowing with point guards.
At the small forward spot, the Lakers signed Roscoe Smith to their training camp roster. Most recently, Smith played alongside Clarkson and rookie Julius Randle on the Lakers’ Summer League squad. The 6-foot 8-inch Smith impressively averaged a double-double during his final season at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
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The Lakers expect to try the likes of Henry, Young and probably even Bryant at small forward, but Wesley Johnson should secure the starting spot after spending the summer serving as Bryant’s student.
The Lakers’ roster may not pop out as the best on paper, but it is versatile with numerous players capable of playing multiple positions. For example, Randle was drafted for his size and strength, but he displayed a strong skillset that included ball handling ability during Summer League play. The Lakers’ top pick in the 2014 draft may even fit into a small forward role at some point.
For now, Randle is still considered a power forward because the kid is strong and big. Also in the big man department, the Lakers' front court features Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Hill and Robert Sacre. The team also invited Jeremy Tyler, a 6-foot 10-inch power forward, to training camp. Tyler served as a reserve for the New York Knicks during the 2013-14 season, appearing in 41 games and averaging 3.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 9.7 minutes.
With only one 7-footer, Sacre, the Lakers could use extra size. Of the invitees, circumstances dictate that Tyler’s chances of making the squad bode best.
As it stands, the Lakers’ regular season roster stands at 14 players and the training camp roster stands at 18 players. The Lakers can add one more player to the regular season roster and two more players to the training camp roster. However, they can also opt to add no one to either roster.
Notes: The Lakers will host media day on Monday, Sept. 29 and begin training camp on Tuesday, Sept. 30. NBCLA.com will have regular reports from Lakers’ training camp and preseason.
