Los Angeles Lakers: Breaking down the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League roster
P.J. Dozier; Guard
The Lakers could potentially have a steal on their hands with P.J. Dozier. The South Carolina product was arguably the best undrafted free agent available following the 2017 NBA Draft, and the Lakers acted quickly in signing him and bringing him onboard.
Dozier was a driving force behind the Gamecocks unlikely run in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Not much was expected from South Carolina, but they shocked the world as a Final Four participant. That helped improve Dozier’s draft stock, but it was not enough to get him drafted.
There is a lot to like about Dozier’s game. He has excellent size, standing 6-feet-7 inches with a 6-feet-11 in wingspan. For a combo guard more than capable of running an offense, that could be a huge advantage, especially when he is playing point guard. He is a strong defender already, with the capability to guard three positions well.
Where Dozier has to improve his offensively. He can score from anywhere on the court but needs to work on his three-point range and efficiency on offense overall. If he can improve to even 33-35 percent from the three-point line, he could be quite a player at the next level.
While his offense still needs improvement, Dozier did improve his shooting and scoring numbers from his freshman to sophomore year. If he continues that trend, the Lakers will have quite a steal on their hands in the undrafted free agent.