One of the Los Angeles Lakers’ three two-way roster spots belongs to Colin Castleton, a big man out of Florida that has already made waves as the potential next gem from L.A.’s scouting system. He showed out at Summer League and is in legitimate contention to at some point be added to the full 15-man roster.
Castleton is a high IQ big man that has a relatively strong offensive profile, but could really make an impact as a defender in Year 1. While it’s unclear what type of role he’ll play in his rookie campaign, training camp will be his first opportunity to prove himself within the team.
But for now, Castleton isn’t focused on trying to earn a roster spot or get regular minutes. Instead he’s looking to learn from some of his all-time great teammates and get as much information as he can on how to improve his game, Castleton told Lakers Nation.
“Learning everyday. That’s the biggest thing for me, that’s my mindset. I haven’t really thought about too much into the future, I’m just taking it one day at a time,” Castleton said. “I was focused on killing Summer League, and I feel like I did a good job there. Now I can focus on getting ready for training camp and put myself in the right mindset so I can have an opportunity later in the year. That’s my mindset.
“I’ll just go in there with the right approach, wanting to learn from the best players in the world. I’m going to soak up all the information they give me. But I feel like I’m definitely ready to play at this level so we’ll just see how everything falls out, but I’m definitely excited for training camp.”
It’s no secret that the Lakers are in the market for a big man to fill out their final roster spots. And Castleton has been mentioned as one of those options externally. However, he’s not worried about whether or not that’s an internal conversation in L.A. even if he believes he’s capable.
“My competitive spirit is something that drives me, so obviously I feel like I could see myself in that role at some point,” Castleton said. “But it’s not something I worry about or think about. I just let the process happen.
“I’m just working as hard as I can everyday and let the dominos fall the way they fall. Being able to focus on taking it one step at a time, doing what I needed to do in Summer League, now getting prepared for training camp and then going from there. I’m just worried about working hard and getting better.”
Castleton certainly has the right mindset for an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract. His main focus is to learn and get better, and if he does that successfully, the opportunities for playing time and roster spots will come to him.
Austin Reaves made his first big impression in training camp two seasons ago. Potentially, Castleton can repeat the formula.
Lakers reportedly expressed interest in Nerlens Noel
Veteran big man Nerlens Noel signed with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week. He figures to provide reserve minutes as the third center on their roster. But reportedly, the Lakers also wanted him to play a similar role.
The Lakers and Chicago Bulls had exploratory interest in Noel before he signed with the Kings and the Lakers are now still searching for a veteran big man option.
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