Los Angeles Lakers forward Derrick Caracter is entering his second season in the NBA after a less-than-impressive rookie season. While Caracter didn’t get a ton of playing time due to an abundance of big men on the roster, when he did get the opportunity to play Caracter had trouble establishing his presence on the court.
Caracter admitted that poor conditioning indeed played a part in his performance last season, but states he is optimistic he will remain a Laker. In a recent article from the L.A. Times, Caracter states that his desire is to remain in Los Angeles and improve as a basketball player.
“I’m pretty confident that they’ll pick it up based on our conversations [in my exit interview]. If they don’t, I’m still Derrick Caracter and the basketball player I’m trying to be. My goal in trying to get better doesn’t change.”
Caracter is currently participating in the Impact Basketball Academy league in Las Vegas, and is working on improving his abilities on the court. Caracter said his specific goals are improving his rebounding and defensive presence, as well as being a better finisher around the rim.
This is positive news for Caracter and the Lakers, who drafted the big man with the 58th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft out of UTEP. It is also a nice change of pace from the last story we heard involving Caracter, which stated that he had been arrested for being involved in a physical altercation with a waitress last April.