On Thursday, the Los Angeles Lakers continued to tinker with their roster by assigning a pair of big men in Thomas Bryant and Ivica Zubac to its G-League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers.
Despite the absence of starting center Brook Lopez, Bryant and Zubac have struggled to crack head coach Luke Walton’s rotation. Thus a move to South Bay makes sense, as it will allow the pair to receive consistent playing time rather than remain on the bench with the Lakers.
In 12 games for South Bay this season, Bryant has averaged a team-best 22.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks over 30.5 minutes on the floor. He has additionally sunk nearly 60 percent of his baskets while posting a plus-minus of 4.8.
Zubac has appeared in seven games for South Bay, and averaged 21.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and two blocks per contest over 31 minutes on the court. The second-year center has added a plus-minus of five, while also converting over 64 percent of his shots.
The South Bay Lakers enter play on Thursday at 13-6 — good for the best record in the Pacific Division — and additionally hold the top seed in the Western Conference as well.
Bryant and Zubac will only strengthen the team, as they’re expected to be in uniform on Thursday night when the team travels to Ontario, Calif., to take on the Agua Caliente Clippers. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. PT and the game will be televised live on ESPNU.
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