Training Camp 2014: 6 Players Compete for 2 Spots
They are the El Segundo Six.
They are the six players without a contract competing for the 2 open spots on the Lakers roster.
The Lakers currently have 13 players under contract, either fully or partially guaranteed. (Kobe Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Jordan Clarkson, Ed Davis, Xavier Henry, Wesley Johnson, Ryan Kelly, Jordan Hill, Jeremy Lin, Steve Nash, Julius Randle, Robert Sacre, Nick Young.)
The maximum amount of players a team can carry on a roster is 15.
Mar 5, 2014; Columbia, MO, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Jabari Brown (32) goes for a three point shot over Texas A&M Aggies guard Jordan Green (5) during the second half at Mizzou Arena. The Missouri Tigers defeated the Texas A&M Aggies 57-56. Mandatory Credit: Dak Dillon-USA TODAY Sports
It’s been done before, coming into camp without a contract and playing opening night. Xavier Henry was in this same position last year. He wasn’t expected to make the team but had a terrific training camp. He was hungry, dedicated and determined.
Each of the six non-contracted players bring something different and add a dimension to the roster if they distinguish themselves. It’s a big if. Here are their stories.
Keith Appling (rookie): Undrafted in 2014 the 6-1 guard attended Michigan State. He shot 41% from three for the Spartans. His junior year he was the team’s leading scoring with 13.4 points and earned All-Big Ten second team. In his senior year he averaged 11.2 points and 4.5 assists. One scout described his game as “vanilla”.
Jabari Brown (rookie): Undrafted in 2014 the 6-5 guard from Oakland is a scorer. He started at Oregon and then transferred to Missouri and was a teammate of Jordan Clarkson’s. His junior year he averaged 20 points a game which led the SEC and he was named All-SEC first team. He declared for the draft after his junior year.
Wayne Ellington (veteran): Drafted in 2009 by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 28th pick, the 6-4 shooting guard was the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament in 2009, the year the Tar Heels won the title by beating Michigan State. He has played for 5 NBA franchises. He was with the Timberwolves for three years playing behind Corey Brewer and Wesley Johnson. He was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies where he lasted a few months before he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and played for Byron Scott, his best stint as a pro. He signed with Dallas last year but didn’t play a lot of minutes for the Mavericks. This summer the Mavericks traded him to the Knicks who then traded him to Sacramento who waived him. Ellington is a three point shooter and a solid defender but doesn’t create his own shot. He has average athleticism.
Ronnie Price (veteran): Undrafted in 2005- he is the only player to play in the NBA from Utah Valley University– he signed with the Sacramento Kings. Two years later, as a free agent, Price joined the Utah Jazz and became Deron Williams back up. His greatest YouTube moment came against the Lakers in the playoffs in 2008. Courtesy of a flagrant foul by Ronny Turiaf, he needed four stitches above his eye. Undeterred he continued to play. On a Luke Walton breakaway that was a dunk for sure, the 6-2 Price caught up with Walton and blocked his shot. Since then he has played for Phoenix, Portland and Orlando who waived him this summer.
Roscoe Smith (undrafted): the 6-8 forward was a freshman starter on the UConn team with Kemba Walker that won the national championship. The next year Andre Drummond took up much of his playing time. After UConn was banned from postseason play Smith transferred to UNLV. He sat out one year. This past season he finished in the top five in the nation in rebounding (11 per game.) He’s undersized which makes defense an issue but he has a lot of energy and keeps balls alive. He plays hard.
Jeremy Tyler (veteran): the 6-10 forward had many shaking their head when he skipped his senior year of high school to play overseas. He didn’t last long. He played 10 games in Israel before he came back home to California. That summer he signed with a team in Japan and averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds in 33 games. He was drafted 39th by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2011 then traded to the Golden State Warriors for cash. The Warriors assigned him to the D-league. Two years later he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks and a month later was waived. His best NBA moment came when he was with the Knicks. He had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks in a game against the Celtics. This summer the Knicks packaged him and Wayne Ellington to Sacramento. Both were waived.