Considering that Luka Dončić is a ball-dominant player who attracts a ton of attention and is an elite passer, being his teammate is an alluring proposition.
Add in that the Lakers locked up Austin Reaves for the future, and suddenly plenty of wing players and bigs can envision how they can thrive with this backcourt pairing feeding them the ball.
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With so many players from last year’s team gone, Dončić and Reaves’ dimes will have to go somewhere and LA’s latest addition, Sandro Mamukelashvili, could be the beneficiary. In fact, it’s one of the many reasons he is excited about playing alongside Dončić and Reaves.
In an interview with Khobi Price of the California Post, Mamu outlined why he can’t wait to suit up in the purple and gold.
“They just see me as a basketball player who can go out there, play multiple positions, bring the rhythm,” Mamukelashvili told the Post. “They know I’m gonna play hard, I won’t take possessions off and they understand that I really want to win. That’s where I fit.
“Having players like Luka, Austin Reaves, all those guys who are such amazing creators that’s gonna help me so much offensively, just flow in it and hopefully get a lot of open corner 3s and then just knock them down.”
As a five-year player, Sandro Mamukelashvili has proven that he can produce and has yet to reach his ceiling.
Last year with the Raptors, he scored 11.2 points per game and shot 52.3% from the field. Both are career-best marks for the big. He even earned some votes for Most Improved Player in the NBA.
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As a Raptor, Mamu was great at capitalizing on open looks from beyond the arc. Of his 295 3-point attempts, 244 were wide open, with the closest defender being at least six feet away. In fact, Mamu took only two 3-pointers when a defender was within four feet of him.
Now, he’s a Laker and wants to get even better.
If Mamu can stay committed to such a healthy shot diet, he could excel in Lakers head coach JJ Redick’s system. And that’s one of the reasons he’s excited for this new opportunity.
With Mamu ready to embrace his inner shooter and a willingness to play multiple positions, the Lakers could maximize his potential.
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He could be the ideal big for LA, able to knock down open threes, but also score inside as a four or a five. If he’s able to do that, his time as a Laker will be a positive one and he could be part of this exciting young core for years to come.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
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