Even though the Los Angeles Lakers are 0-2 in preseason action so far, there have been a couple of bright spots.
The biggest one is that Anthony Davis looks healthy and seems to be on a mission as he hopes to re-establish himself as one of the premier players in the NBA. However, the youngsters on the roster are making an impression, particularly Malik Monk, who has been a lightning rod because of his sweet shooting.
Aside from Monk, Austin Reaves has also shown flashes of what he can do with the basketball in his hands and looks like he is justifying the Lakers’ decision to sign him to a standard NBA deal. Reaves’s signing leaves Los Angeles with one open two-way contract to hand out and according to head coach Frank Vogel, Chaundee Brown might be the frontrunner for it.
“Yeah, he’s making a case. He’s performing well, obviously with the premier shooting and the defensive physical toughness, you can have success in this league. So he’s a dark horse.
“And he’s tough. He has the mindset of blowing up screens and being really physical on the glass. So he’s done a good job for us in camp and like I said, he’s a guy that can shoot the ball from the perimeter, take plays off the bounce and compete at a high level on the defensive end, you got a chance.”
Brown has been nothing but impressive since Summer League, finding ways to make an impact on the floor on both ends. He has endeared himself to fans with his tenacious nature as a defender, but offensively he has shown a knack for knocking down shots when he is left open.
The undrafted forward has the mold of a 3-and-D wing and it is easy to see him growing into that role down the line. A team can never have enough players like Brown, so it would make sense for the Lakers to take a shot on someone who might be able to contribute in the future.
Trevor Ariza out eight weeks after ankle surgery
One factor working in Brown’s favor is the health of the roster as Trevor Ariza recently underwent ankle surgery and will be evaluated in eight weeks. Short on wings, Brown makes even more sense to add on a two-way as a potential flier.
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