Feb 06, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Andrew Goudelock (0) brings the ball up court during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Lakers 95-90. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
The sun has just refused to shine on the Los Angeles Lakers this season. The Lakers hopes of making any type of run this season burst with Kobe Bryant’s ruptured Achilles 2 games before the end of the regular season. The Lakers already facing almost insurmountable odds to upset the San Antonio Spurs with the roster that remained at the beginning of the series, were just dealt the final blow that can have us remove the almost from insurmountable when gauging the Lakers chances.
The Lakers announced today that Steve Blake will be out for Game 3 of the Los Angeles Lakers-San Antonio Spurs series at Staples Center on Friday. Blake injured his hamstring in the 2nd half of Wednesday’s night game and had to be helped back to the locker room. Blake’s status is being listed as being out indefinitely.
Steve Blake's hamstring strain is being termed "moderate" after an ultrasound today. Out indefinitely.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 25, 2013
Jodie Meeks missed game 2 with a sprained ankle and is listed as doubtful for game 3. Steve Nash, who aggravated his hamstring injury in game 2 , is also listed as doubtful for Friday night’s game.
So who does that leave if in fact all three guards will be out for Friday’s game 3? My guess is Andrew Goudelock, who the Lakers signed just prior to the end of the regular season.
Goudelock played in the Lakers season finale against Houston and went scoreless in 6 minutes and scored 2 points in 6 minutes of garbage time in Wednesday night’s game 2 loss to the Spurs.
The Lakers had waived Andrew Goudelock just prior to the start of this 2012-13 NBA season. Since that time he has flourished in the NBA D-League where has played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and most recently, Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Goudelock averaged 21.1 points, 5.2 assists and shot 47.5 percent from the field in 52 games in the NBA D-League. Goudelock played so well in fact that he was named the Most Valuable Players of the D-League earlier today.
Goudelock had very few good moments in his first and only season in the NBA last year, with the Los Angeles Lakers. Goudelock averaged 4.4 points and shot 39.1 percent from the field in 40 games last season. Goudelock scored a career high 14 points on 1/25/12 against the Los Angeles Clippers, then followed that up by scoring double digits in 3 of the next 4 games. As far as NBA career highlights go for Goudelock, that’s it.
If there is one thing that Goudelock can do at an NBA level it’s the ability to put the ball in the basket. He has a quick release and nice stroke from the outside. Goudelock also has a nice floater that he utilizes around the basket. The issues with Goudelock, like many young players, are his consistency and shot selection. Goudelock even earned the nick name of Mini-Mamba from Kobe Bryant last season after he had a short stretch of games where he demonstrated his scoring prowess. Well, prowess is probably a stretch but he played well enough to get recognition from Kobe.
Even before the rash of injuries to the Lakers backcourt they were searching for someone, anyone, to step up and provide scoring from the perimeter in order to provide some spacing for the bigs down low. Now, with the Lakers entire back court being decimated, they are just searching for warm bodies to throw out there. That warm body wears number 0 and his name is Andrew Goudelock. Wow…wish you luck Lakers. Luck? What a novice idea.