Los Angeles Lakers: Vander Blue earned chance to make roster
Vander Blue has earned a chance to make the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster after agreeing to a partially guaranteed contract.
The Los Angeles Lakers have done a total overhaul of their backcourt this offseason. Los Angeles will be turning the reins over to the No. 2 pick from the 2017 NBA Draft, Lonzo Ball. He will now be running the show but isn’t the only change that was made.
The starting duo in the backcourt will be different this offseason. In addition to Ball, the Lakers signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to play shooting guard. The Lakers used the 30th overall pick on Josh Hart of out Villanova as well.
Those three will help replace D’Angelo Russell, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, along with Timofey Mozgov. Nick Young opted out of his contract and signed with the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The Lakers did re-sign Tyler Ennis, who will be their backup point guard. He will also be relied upon to mentor Ball. Jordan Clarkson was held over from last season as well. He should be the sixth man off the bench in a combo role.
The Lakers backcourt is full, but they made an another addition there this week. The Lakers agreed to a partially guaranteed deal with Vander Blue. Blue has spent the past three seasons with the Lakers G-League affiliate and has earned a shot at making the team.
Blue wasted no time in working towards making the roster. On the day that he signed the deal, Blue started three-a-day workouts.
Newest Laker Vander Blue celebrates his deal by starting three-a-day workouts in Miami. Pool work to increase that vert. "I'll be so ready." pic.twitter.com/hWCwllHug8
— Chris Palmer (@ChrisPalmerNBA) July 31, 2017
Blue’s work ethic is clear. He is a hard worker and wants to make the NBA team. He has earned the shot with his production in the G-League.
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Blue was named MVP of the league last season. He averaged 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34.8 minutes per game. Those stats are very impressive, as Blue helped lead the G-League Lakers to a 34-17 record, which was second in the Western Conference.
Blue carried that strong performance over to this year’s Las Vegas Summer League. He was a key contributor to the Lakers taking home the Summer League title. Blue averaged 15.0 points, 3.75 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 0.75 steals per game. He played very well in the tournament portion of the Summer League, including a 27-point game against the Brooklyn Nets.
There is no denying the offensive talent that Blue possesses. He has showcased that scoring ability continually in the G-League and is hoping that he can showcase it at the next level.
Right now, the Lakers have 14 players on the roster; 15 including Alex Caruso, who signed a two-way deal during the Summer League. Blue has a chance to earn that final roster spot and will have the edge as he was given a partial guarantee by the Lakers.
Blue has an excellent chance at making the regular season roster. He has the ability to play both guard spots, and he has already excelled in the G-League. It is about time that he is given a real chance to succeed at the NBA level as well.
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The Lakers are not going to just hand him a roster spot or playing time, but you know Blue is going to work hard to earn both for the 2017-18 season.