Originally published by LakersNation.com
The 2021-22 NBA season is more than halfway over and the Los Angeles Lakers still have yet to see what their full roster will look like together with everyone healthy.
Kendrick Nunn and Anthony Davis are still out with knee injuries, while at other various points of the season LeBron James, Trevor Ariza and Talen Horton-Tucker have all missed time due to injury and almost the whole roster has spent time in health and safety protocols while battling coronavirus (COVID-19).
This season has been particularly difficult for Ariza, who suffered an ankle injury in training camp that forced him to miss a lot of time. And then immediately after coming back, Ariza was placed in protocols and missed more games, not allowing him to build any sort of rhythm.
Ariza has finally been able to play consistently over the last couple of weeks, although Frank Vogel has slow-played him a bit as he is yet to play more than 25 minutes in any of the nine games he has played in.
While the 36-year-old is averaging just 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists, he is shooting 52.2% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Plus, he has been playing out of position a bit as a small-ball center, mainly focusing on the defensive end of the floor and rebounding.
With that being said, Vogel has been pleased with Ariza’s overall play when asked to evaluate him before Saturday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
“Trevor is just a guy that makes winning plays,” Vogel said. “He always carries a threat to shoot the ball from the perimeter, which gives you great space, he makes good decisions when he puts the ball on the floor and has contributed to our re-drive and drive-and-kick game, and obviously he’s very versatile with what he can do with his length defensively.
“So we have asked him to play out of more big man coverages than he’s used to and that’s something we’re trying to peel back on but he’s done a great job for us on both ends.”
If the Lakers are going to play small then Ariza should continue to have a role, even if it’s sparing minutes to keep his legs fresh. While Ariza may not be the player he once was, the Lakers are desperate for wing defenders right now and he fits the bills along with other players on the roster like Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves.
Johnson to be signed to third 10-day contract
With Johnson being one of the Lakers’ only wing players and positive defenders, the expectation is they will sign him to a third 10-day contract on Monday. This is the final 10-day contract they can sign him to, so after it concludes, the Lakers will have to decide if they want to sign Johnson for the rest of the season or let him walk.
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The 2021-22 NBA season is more than halfway over and the Los Angeles Lakers still have yet to see what their full roster will look like together with everyone healthy.
Kendrick Nunn and Anthony Davis are still out with knee injuries, while at other various points of the season LeBron James, Trevor Ariza and Talen Horton-Tucker have all missed time due to injury and almost the whole roster has spent time in health and safety protocols while battling coronavirus (COVID-19).
This season has been particularly difficult for Ariza, who suffered an ankle injury in training camp that forced him to miss a lot of time. And then immediately after coming back, Ariza was placed in protocols and missed more games, not allowing him to build any sort of rhythm.
Ariza has finally been able to play consistently over the last couple of weeks, although Frank Vogel has slow-played him a bit as he is yet to play more than 25 minutes in any of the nine games he has played in.
While the 36-year-old is averaging just 3.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists, he is shooting 52.2% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. Plus, he has been playing out of position a bit as a small-ball center, mainly focusing on the defensive end of the floor and rebounding.
With that being said, Vogel has been pleased with Ariza’s overall play when asked to evaluate him before Saturday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
“Trevor is just a guy that makes winning plays,” Vogel said. “He always carries a threat to shoot the ball from the perimeter, which gives you great space, he makes good decisions when he puts the ball on the floor and has contributed to our re-drive and drive-and-kick game, and obviously he’s very versatile with what he can do with his length defensively.
“So we have asked him to play out of more big man coverages than he’s used to and that’s something we’re trying to peel back on but he’s done a great job for us on both ends.”
If the Lakers are going to play small then Ariza should continue to have a role, even if it’s sparing minutes to keep his legs fresh. While Ariza may not be the player he once was, the Lakers are desperate for wing defenders right now and he fits the bills along with other players on the roster like Stanley Johnson and Austin Reaves.
Johnson to be signed to third 10-day contract
With Johnson being one of the Lakers’ only wing players and positive defenders, the expectation is they will sign him to a third 10-day contract on Monday. This is the final 10-day contract they can sign him to, so after it concludes, the Lakers will have to decide if they want to sign Johnson for the rest of the season or let him walk.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
