The Lakers will miss Thomas Bryant this season
This is definitely a hot take as Thomas Bryant did not have a great second tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. Fans are not going to miss the version of Bryant that played for the team last season as he did not do what fans thought he was going to do.
But that has become a bit of a trend for centers in Los Angeles. The Lakers go through centers like they are going out of style and the team is once again welcoming in two new centers this season with Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood.
Like those before them, the fanbase is hyping up both Hayes and Wood as these big difference-makers who are going to be great for the Lakers this season. However, it seems likely that by midseason the fanbase would have turned on both players for one reason or another and will realize what it had in Bryant.
Again, Bryant was underutilized by Darvin Ham in Los Angeles, which is a real shame considering what he brings to the table. LA wants to run more two-big lineups where Anthony Davis does not have to play the five. Wood is important for some of those lineups as he keeps the floor spacing from being awful.
Bryant could have done the exact same thing! He could have been a bruiser near the rim while also providing floor-spacing for the offense. Heck, Bryant shot 44% from three and averaged 12.1 points in 21.4 minutes per game. He showed that there was real potential there!
Instead of utilizing that last season, Bryant played just 13 total minutes with Davis on the floor.