One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ top free agent acquisitions this offseason was versatile big man Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Georgian native was coming off a breakout season with the Toronto Raptors in which he received votes for the league’s Sixth Player of the Year Award. Lakers head coach JJ Redick has spoken excitedly about how he can use him offensively, and Austin Reaves believes there will be times when Mamukelashvili can even play point guard.
“He’s a good basketball player. I think he struggled a little bit during the first of camp, and I think he was just worried about not doing the right thing every single possession. I know JJ talked to him, I talked to him, I’m sure Luka talked to him and we told him that he’s here for a reason,” Reaves said following Lakers’ practice on Oct. 11. “We believe in him and we want him to be himself and that’s been the main message to him.
“He’s got such a high basketball IQ that if he gets the rebound, he should basically play the one. And it doesn’t matter if I’m on the floor, it doesn’t matter if Luka is on the floor, if he gets it an goes and he has a good matchup, we trust whatever he has planned to do. He’ll be really good for us.”
Article Continues BelowHe’s appeared in all three Lakers’ preseason games to this point, averaging 14.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals with splits of 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 57.1 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 100 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
The former Seton Hall standout signed a four-year contract with the Lakers, giving him some of the most stability he’s had in the NBA thus far.