The Los Angeles Lakers have been in a plethora of headlines recently after the acquisition of Patrick Beverley.
While all the news has been about Beverley and Russell Westbrook, one Lakers guard is quietly getting better and ready for the upcoming season.
While this player has been included in some trade packages, he continues to remain professional and put in work behind the scenes. That player is former Oakland University guard, Kendrick Nunn.
Why Kendrick Nunn is going to have a big role for the Lakers this season:
Fans were disappointed that the former Miami Heat guard didn’t play any games last year due to a knee injury. Nunn said he feels 100%, and it’s looking like he’ll be ready to start the 2022-2023 NBA season.
The six-two guard averaged 15 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals per game in his time with the Heat. Nunn is mainly known as a scorer who excels at the slasher-type role.
However, Nunn is also a pretty solid shooter. He shot an impressive 38% behind the arc in his second year with the Heat. Even more impressive, Nunn was able to shoot 43% on threes from the left side of the wing. This was well above the 36.2% league average. Nunn might’ve been able to be a 40% three-point shooter if he didn’t struggle with his corner threes.
The Lakers can use Nunn in a variety of different ways. Since Nunn isn’t too much of a playmaker, he doesn’t demand the ball. This is perfect when you’re playing next to one of the greatest playmaking forwards of all time, LeBron James. Nunn could easily fit in the starting lineup and create offense with his offensive production while allowing LeBron James and Anthony Davis to do what they do.
The other role fans could expect to see Nunn is a high-volume scorer off the bench. If the team decides to go in another direction for starting point guard, Nunn could come in and run the offense. Coming off the bench would also allow him to have a more on-ball role than the starting lineup.
Another positive is that Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said that Nunn “Looked great” in individual workouts. The 27-year-old has also been cleared to increase contact in workouts. This is an absolutely phenomenal sign for Nunn and the team.
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All signs are pointing in the direction that the guard will have a great season and turn some heads this upcoming season.