Originally published by LakersNation.com
The Los Angeles Lakers completely overhauled their roster this offseason and one of their biggest moves was signing former Toronto Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili to a four-year, $52 million contract.
That is starter-level money, so the Lakers obviously have a lot of confidence that Mamukelashvili will make an impact for them. Exactly what position he will be playing remains to be seen, however, as Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes Mamukelashvili brings a lot of versatility to the table.
“Yeah, well we’re going to have to play backup five minutes with [Kevon] Looney as the traditional five. We’re going to have to play some with Mamu. I think the addition of Mamu gives us a lot of lineup flexibility because of his skillset and who he is as a basketball player,” Redick said in an interview with ESPN LA. “I remember when we did our free agency call with him, I can’t remember the exact wording. He said something like, ‘Where do you see me in the lineup? What do you view me as?’ And I said, ‘I don’t get me started on positions right now. I hate positions, I view you as a basketball player.’ So, the fact that him alone, he’s going to drive a lot of that versatility that we’ll have.”
Arguably the two biggest holes on the Lakers roster are the starting power forward position and the backup center spot. The latter is an area of worry with Kevon Looney being the only other option outside of Mamukelashvili. If Walker Kessler were to miss time, the Lakers could struggle immensely when it comes to rim deterrence and rebounding.
If Mamukelashvili isn’t playing center then he may also get some minutes at power forward, although it remains to be seen if he will be in Redick’s starting lineup. The Lakers coach has typically employed small-ball lineups and Mamukelashvili could provide an intriguing option as a 6’9″ floor spacer.
Ultimately, Redick will have plenty of options in terms of constructing lineups. As training camp kicks off and preseason games get underway, his vision for this team could become clearer.
JJ Redick: Cameron Carr will have opportunities to play for Lakers this season
Lakers rookie Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero may have bigger roles than anticipated this season as L.A. leans more into its youth. With both players showing flashes during Summer League, Redick addressed if Carr will get opportunities to play in his rotation right away.
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The Los Angeles Lakers completely overhauled their roster this offseason and one of their biggest moves was signing former Toronto Raptors big man Sandro Mamukelashvili to a four-year, $52 million contract.
That is starter-level money, so the Lakers obviously have a lot of confidence that Mamukelashvili will make an impact for them. Exactly what position he will be playing remains to be seen, however, as Lakers head coach JJ Redick believes Mamukelashvili brings a lot of versatility to the table.
“Yeah, well we’re going to have to play backup five minutes with [Kevon] Looney as the traditional five. We’re going to have to play some with Mamu. I think the addition of Mamu gives us a lot of lineup flexibility because of his skillset and who he is as a basketball player,” Redick said in an interview with ESPN LA. “I remember when we did our free agency call with him, I can’t remember the exact wording. He said something like, ‘Where do you see me in the lineup? What do you view me as?’ And I said, ‘I don’t get me started on positions right now. I hate positions, I view you as a basketball player.’ So, the fact that him alone, he’s going to drive a lot of that versatility that we’ll have.”
Arguably the two biggest holes on the Lakers roster are the starting power forward position and the backup center spot. The latter is an area of worry with Kevon Looney being the only other option outside of Mamukelashvili. If Walker Kessler were to miss time, the Lakers could struggle immensely when it comes to rim deterrence and rebounding.
If Mamukelashvili isn’t playing center then he may also get some minutes at power forward, although it remains to be seen if he will be in Redick’s starting lineup. The Lakers coach has typically employed small-ball lineups and Mamukelashvili could provide an intriguing option as a 6’9″ floor spacer.
Ultimately, Redick will have plenty of options in terms of constructing lineups. As training camp kicks off and preseason games get underway, his vision for this team could become clearer.
JJ Redick: Cameron Carr will have opportunities to play for Lakers this season
Lakers rookie Cameron Carr and second-year forward Adou Thiero may have bigger roles than anticipated this season as L.A. leans more into its youth. With both players showing flashes during Summer League, Redick addressed if Carr will get opportunities to play in his rotation right away.
If you love our reporting, choose LakersNation.com as a preferred source on Google.
