Did the Lakers Waive the Wrong Player in Jabari Brown? (video)

No, I’m not talking about Roscoe Smith.  In his limited playing time, Roscoe Smith won fans over with his hustle and energy.  That is always appreciated on the NBA floor and a quality Coach Scott loves.

He got cut.

The player I am referring to is Jordan Clarkson’s Mizzou teammate, Jabari Brown.

Why am I making such a fuss over a player that didn’t get much playing time during the preseason?

Simply put, the Lakers need perimeter shooting.  Jabari Brown provides that in spades.

Last night against the Sacramento Kings, he hit a three-point shot.  His second attempt behind the arc was a bit forced and ill-advised.  Of course he missed that.  It wasn’t in the rhythm of the offense.

His second field goal was a baseline drive for a layup against Nik Stauskas.  What was impressive about it was, Nik Stauskas took quite the hit off of Brown’s shoulder. Something about that drive seems very Ron Artest-like.

According to Draftexpress.com, Jabari Brown stands at 6’3″ (without shoes) with a wingspan over 6’8″.  He has a chiseled frame at over 200lbs.

This detail from their scouting report is what caught my eye.

"He took on an expanded offensive role this season, increasing his usage rate from 20.6% to 26%, while simultaneously increasing his true shooting percentage from 58% to 63% which rates fifth among shooting guards in our top 100 prospect rankings.Brown is still an excellent spot up shooter, making 39.4% of his catch and shoot opportunities. He’s got deep range and terrific mechanics, making 41% of his overall 3-point attempts on a large quantity of attempts, which is his biggest selling point as a NBA prospect. Despite his tremendous shooting ability, he also made significant improvement this season in terms of his ability to attack defenses off the dribble by showing much more confidence in putting the ball on the floor when the three point shot is not available. He did a great job of using his strong frame to initiate contact around the basket this season, as his 8.3 free throw attempts per 40 minutes ranked eighth among all prospects in our top-100From DraftExpress.com http://www.draftexpress.com#ixzz3HBwu24M5"

He hit his first field goal at the 4:18 mark.

The 8:30 mark shows him driving baseline on Stauskas.  Stauskas got off-balance.

The Lakers not only had Jordan Clarkson‘s previous teammate, but they had a shooter that draws fouls and attacks the basket.  Isn’t that exactly what the Lakers need?  The Lakers succeed when Jeremy Lin is able to attack the basket.

The Lakers needed a floor spacer, and rightfully gave playing time to veteran Wayne Ellington.  Ellington struggled for well over two weeks.  Considering the injuries to the roster, it would have been nice to see Jabari Brown get more time.

Do you think the Lakers should have given him more playing time?  Do you want him to get a shot on the Laker team by mid-season?  Do you think he could be the three-and-D player the Lakers need?

Please leave comments below.