On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers announced the signing of Dwight Buycks on a 10-day contract.
The decision to sign Buycks derived from Wayne Ellington's season-ending injury. At the conclusion of the Lakers' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, a collision left Ellington in pain. Almost immediately, an X-ray showed that the guard had suffered a separation in his right shoulder, and Ellington did not hide the fact that he was in pain when speaking to reporters after the game.
On Thursday evening, the team announced that results of an MRI showed that Ellington would not return this season due to the injury. With Ellington lost for the season, the Los Angeles Lakers did not take long to add a guard to help shore up a skinny backcourt that had already lost Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Ronnie Price, Xavier Henry during the course of the season.
Buycks is a 6-foot 3-inch guard more known for his defensive ability than his scoring prowess. Most recently, he played for Valencia Basket in Spain's ACB League and Tianjin Ronggan in of the Chinese Basketball Association. In 2013/14, Buycks played for the Toronto Raptos and appeared in 14 games, where he averaged 3.1 points, 0.7 assists in only 10.2 minutes.
Prior to Friday's game, Lakers coach Byron Scott said he would have the new addition on the bench but did not plan on forcing the issue unless circumstances required it.
"Hard worker, just come out there (and) do what the coach asks, try to make the guys around me better," Buycks described his game prior to Friday's contest against the Portland Trail Blazers.
With the season winding down, the Lakers did not add Buycks to revolutionize the team or to become a star. Really, they needed another guard who could effective help dribble out a season that is on its last legs.
