The Los Angeles Lakers have been the bud of a lot of jokes this offseason because of the old age of the players they added to their roster.
What many people are choosing to ignore though is that the Lakers also added some quality young talent, with Kendrick Nunn being among them.
Nunn had two solid seasons with the Miami Heat after going undrafted and now signed with the Lakers for the mid-level exception, which is significantly less than he was projected to get in free agency.
So far, Nunn is looking like a steal as he has shown off his versatility on both ends of the floor in the preseason. Nunn had arguably his best game on Friday night against the Golden State Warriors, posting 13 points and four rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench.
Nunn play so far has earned praise from Lakers star LeBron James, who credited the young guard’s Chicago roots and the Heat for developing his game.
“Well, he comes from a defensive-minded franchise, and that’s Miami. You have to show up and play defense in order to be on the floor in Miami,” James said. “So I just love his competitive nature and the fact that he’s from Chicago, those guys just have another level of pride when it comes to basketball, both sides of the floor. So I love what he brings to our ball club and looking forward to him having a great year.”
Given the Lakers’ age, Nunn’s youth and energy will be important to get through the regular season regardless of if he starts or comes off the bench.
The good thing is that he and the rest of the team have bought into being selfless in pursuit of a championship, so there shouldn’t be any issues as far as playing time throughout the season.
Nunn excited to learn from veterans
One of the other positive things about Nunn is that he has expressed an eagerness to learn, which should be easy to do when playing with so many veterans.
“It’s a surreal moment, but I’m also alongside with them as well. So I have a job to do and I play up to my potential. Being a younger guy in the locker room, I’m going to learn a lot from these guys. A lot of veteran guys and a lot of experience. It’s only my third year in the league, so I’m definitely a sponge in the locker room.”
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