The Los Angeles Lakers have played better basketball as a team in recent weeks and one of the main reasons for that has been guys like Kendrick Nunn raising their level of play individually.
After missing all of last season due to a bone bruise in his knee, Nunn got off to a rough start in 2022-23 as he was clearly looking to find his rhythm.
Nunn found himself out of the Lakers’ rotation completely, although he has gotten another chance in recent weeks with both Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves dealing with injuries.
Known for his scoring ability, perhaps all Nunn needed was consistent minutes to get his rhythm back as in the last eight games he has played 20.6 minutes a night, averaging 12 points while shooting 48.7% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.
When asked about his recent hot streak, Nunn credited the work he has continued to put in all season.
“That’s all it was, staying with it,” Nunn said after Friday night’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies. “Just getting better every day at something. Whether it’s in film, on the court, talking to my teammates, staying engaged. Being out of the rotation, that was the key for me.”
Nunn had 11 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes against the Grizzlies, shooting 3-for-9 from deep. He came up with some big plays down the stretch in what was a close victory for the Lakers. And considering how many close defeats the team has suffered recently, he admitted it felt good to come out on top in one of those games for once.
“It felt great. We’ve had a handful of them as of late that came down to the wire and to be on the other side and get a victory in a tight game like that feels good.”
Nunn pleased with Lakers moving up standings
The Lakers are now 21-25 and although that is still 13th place in the Western Conference, they are inching their way up the standings only two games behind sixth place.
Nunn is pleased with the Lakers’ play in recent weeks and believes the standings could look a lot different if they continue playing this way.
“Definitely feel good going into these games with the guys we’re playing with. A couple games away and we could be in a different spot. We’re not getting too down on where we’re at now, just want to build every day to give ourselves the best chance to end up in a better position towards the end of the season.”
In a wide-open Western Conference, it’s hard to disagree with Nunn’s sentiment.
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