Ex-Hoosier Thomas Bryant looms large in Los Angeles Lakers plans

Thomas Bryant wanted a shot. Naysayers had no relevance in his quest for NBA Draft selection, and now that the former Indiana standout is a Los Angeles Laker, now that he’s part of team president Magic Johnson’s debut quest to return the Lakers to greatness, he’s ready to make his mark in a city of angels, illusions and heartbreak.

“All I need is one foot in the door,” he tweeted.

Bryant got it, briefly with Utah in the second round before a trade landed him in Los Angeles.

Bryant had worked out for the Lakers in the weeks leading up to the draft. General manager Rob Pelinka quickly noticed Bryant had NBA-ready fitness.

"One of the things that stood out was he was in extraordinary shape,” Pelinka said in a post-draft press conference. “He ran up and down the floor and didn’t get tired. He was doing a lot of drills that the guards did and showed that he was in good fitness."

Beyond that, Bryant had a standing reach of 9 foot 4.5 inches, which was second among players at May’s NBA Combine. He was third at the combine with a 7-foot-6 wingspan.

Pelinka noticed that, as well.

“He has extraordinary length.”

That suggests Bryant could make a big impact on defense. Add his three-point shooting ability (he shot 38.3 percent beyond the arc for IU last season), and you have a potential difference-maker, crucial for a team looking to bounce back from a 26-56 mess of a season.

"I think he’ll be able to help us defensively as a rim protector and then opening the floor as a shooter,” Pelinka said.

"His length around the rim is disruptive. When he steps out to the top of the key you've got to guard him because he's got a beautiful 3-point shot."

Beauty came from effort. Bryant spent much of his time last summer in Bloomington working on his perimeter shooting. The result -- he made 23 three-pointers last season after attempting just 15 as a freshman.

All that perimeter time took away from his inside dominance, and let him open to critics who wondered why a guy who was a center didn't play like a center.

That's irrelevant now.

Bryant could be part of a solid 1-2 rookie punch with the Los Angeles’ top pick, and No. 2 overall NBA Draft selection, Lonzo Ball of UCLA.

“If you think about Lonzo getting into seams and breaking down players, and passing, having a stretch player like Thomas Bryant to open the court,” Pelinka said, “is really an exciting combination for the future.”

Los Angeles also added former Villanova standout Josh Hart, plus Kyle Kuzma of Utah. Hart was the Big East player of the year last season, after helping the Wildcats to the 2016 national championship. The 6-9 Kuzma was the Pac-12 defensive player of the year while averaging 16.4 points and 9.3 rebounds.

That’s an intriguing youthful foundation to build on. That job falls to coach Luke Walton and, of course, Magic Johnson.

All Bryant has to do now is make the most of this opportunity -- and help return the Lakers to glory.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don’t sweat Indiana’s football recruiting ratings

Image
By Pete DiPrimio BLOOMINGTON -- Indiana football recruiting commitments continue to come -- up to 11 now -- but national respect doesn’t follow. Is this a problem? Not exactly. IU’s class currently ranks No. 14 in the Big Ten with its Class of 2018, which is last. Mr. Obvious says, that is not good. It is No. 74 overall, which also isn’t what it needs to be. The good news -- it’s way early, which means there is plenty of time for coach Tom Allen and his staff to pick up the pace. More good news -- it’s not about ratings as much as it is development and performance, which we won’t know for a couple of years. Of course, good ratings often does lead to good performance, which is among the reasons why Ohio State and Alabama do so well. Anyway, IU is getting good players. Ten of its 11 commitments are three-star prospects. You can win with three-star guys if they are competitive and motivated, if they are developed and well coached and positioned for
Read more

Archie Miller contract -- rich man, fewer patsies, credit card info needed

Image
By Pete DiPrimio It’s official -- Archie Miller is really, really rich. That is, if you think $3.35 million a year makes you rich. It’s also official -- Indiana will pay its new basketball coach to stay away from scheduling non-conference patsies. For those who love watching the Hoosiers bury the likes of Savannah State, Nichols State and Coppin State, this is heart-breaking. For those wanting IU to schedule to its tradition -- and to boost its NCAA tourney stock -- this is Manna from heaven. First, Miller’s contract to coach Indiana basketball was released on Tuesday. It’s a seven-year deal worth $24 million.   If you like specifics, and who doesn’t when you’re talking about this much money, his base salary is $550,000 per year. Then he gets an extra $1.65 to $1.95 million a year for some reason. He also gets an extra $50,000 a year in outside marketing and promotional income. He also gets $1 million a year in deferred compensation. To put this in perspective, this
Read more

Could ex-Hoosier OG Anunoby be ‘special’ for Toronto -- Darn right

Image
By Pete DiPrimio OG Anunoby found his voice as he didn’t at Indiana. He remains a man of few words and big basketball potential. He didn’t overwhelm his Toronto Raptors introductory press conference in a gush of oratory to remind you of, say, Dick Vitale, but he left an impression the best is yet to come. Take for instance, his ability to guard every position. “I could do it in high school. I could do it in college. I feel I can still do it now. I think I’m athletic enough, strong enough and smart enough to defend every position.” If that sounds bold for an NBA rookie, you’d better be bold if you expect to guard some of the best players on the planet; if you think, at 6-8, you can handle the likes of guards Chris Paul, Steph Curry and even Yogi Ferrell, another former Hoosier now playing for the Dallas Mavericks. “Guarding the perimeter, getting steals and blocks, I love that.” Anunoby smiles as he says this, looking dapper in a charcoal suit just as he did during draft night
Read more