Both the Aussie and the Los Angeles Lakers head in a new direction, as headlines report the Lakers waived Andrew Bogut earlier today.
Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports and the Vertical first reported the breaking Los Angeles Lakers news. Lakers management announced that they requested for waivers on Australian-native veteran center Andrew Bogut.
Los Angeles signed Andrew as the last player on their training camp roster, hoping that Bogut would elevate one of the league’s worst defenses last year. Unfortunately, it was obvious that the limited role on the court hasn’t panned out for either party.
In just 24 games, five of which Bogut started in place of injured Brook Lopez, he averaged 3.3 rebounds per game and less than 0.5 blocks per game. The defense never seemed to be better with Bogut as the anchor on the floor.
When he played, the Lakers gave up 99.7 points per 100 possessions. The offense also struggled as well. Bogut has also held up playing time for Julius Randle, who will now play as the backup center with Brook Lopez recently returning from injury. Bogut’s role in Los Angeles became essentially unneeded after the loss to Charlotte.
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Past his prime, however, Bogut was a key force in the locker room. Even though 2018 has become a clear distraction for Los Angeles, he called on the team to not worry about trade rumors or free agency factors that would sidetrack them from playing their best on the court.
He told Bleacher Report:
"” Pouting? Possibly. Guys are frustrated. There are some injuries right now, different rotations. Guys are frustrated, obviously. You would be lying to say that there are guys that are not frustrated on this team. Everyone knows what is going on with the salary-cap situation next season and all that. That is just distractions that we can’t let affect us. That is part of the league, the business decisions that front offices and coaches make. So if that is distracting guys, that is going to be like that your whole career. That is just the nature of this league.”"
Reports expect Bogut to sign with a contending team vying to make the playoffs.
The Lakers desperately need shooting. Los Angeles is currently shooting just 45 percent from the field, 32 percent from deep, and under 69 percent from the free throw line, according to NBA.com.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Lakers are in on finding a scoring and/or shooting specialist.
With roster spot opened, Lakers plan to be aggressive in finding some shooting on a 10-day contract among available pool of players, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 6, 2018
One player, I believe the Lakers should sign is Monta Ellis, the former Indiana Pacers combo guard. Ellis was a longtime member of the Golden State Warriors before their management traded him for Bogut to give Stephen Curry more playing time.
Curry would eventually rise to stardom, while Ellis slipped to a key role player; nothing more.
Ellis would give the Lakers a pure scorer and a decent three-point shooter. Ellis has shot over 33 percent from deep in half of his seasons in the NBA.
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Nonetheless, the Lakers need to figure out a way to stop a nine-game losing streak. Atlanta is up next. If the Lakers somehow lose to the worst team in the league, it may be time for a major overhaul on the team itself.