Lakers: 3 Takeaways From the Preseason Loss vs Portland Trailblazers

Timofey Mozgov Showing Why the Lakers Signed Him

By now you know just how fans feel about the decision to sign Timofey Mozgov, but through the first few games of the preseason, he is already off to a solid start.

Though the stats might not tell the whole story, what Mozgov brings to the defensive end of the floor is invaluable. Coach Luke Walton even went so far as to say that he is the best defender in the league at utilizing the verticality rule, and he might be right.

On what feels like every occasion the ball gets into the paint – and through four games, that has been on a ton of possessions – Mozzy is always there to challenge, forcing the shooter into a tough shot. The problem is, after he does that, his teammates haven’t been around to scoop up the easy defensive rebound, which has led to multiple second chance points for the opposition.

Further, on the offensive side of the ball, Mozgov is doing exactly what fans who knew anything about him before coming to the Lakers expected him to do: set solid screens, finish hard in the paint and rim run like a mad man on the break.

Say what you will about him, but he looks to be fully capable of serving as the team’s Andrew Bogut this upcoming season.