The Los Angeles Lakers won two championships with Lamar Odom as their sixth man, and the Lakers finally got that versatile reserve big man type back when they signed Sandro Mamukelashvili. Mamu is already shining during the preseason. He dished out five dimes and had two steals in the opener. The 6’9 big man went for 15 points the next night before putting it all together in LA’s home opener.
Mamu had 19 points, four assists, three rebounds, one steal, one block, and made three 3-pointers against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. He became the clear answer as the Lakers’ backup center after he made plays, shot stepback threes, ran the break, and even made a few timely cuts to the basket. It was a thing of beauty that Lakers fans will quickly fall in love with.
Odom was a fan favorite throughout his Lakers tenure. He won Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 for his ability to get buckets, make plays, space the floor, and rebound. The 6’10 big man did a bit of everything, and fans of the purple and gold responded. Mamu is the same type of player with just slightly less bounce.
Sandro Mamukelashvili is already doing his best Lamar Odom impression
Having a dribble, pass, and shoot big man is a massive advantage. Odom would bring the ball up the court, attack off the dribble, find open teammates, and be just as comfortable playing off the ball. He bought into a bench role and thrived playing his spot.
Fans have seen Mamu do all of that in the first three preseason games. The Lakers have been short on point guards. Collin Sexton missed all three games. Austin Reaves sat in the first two, and Luka was held out in game two. It has forced Bronny James to be the point guard in the second unit, which hasn’t worked. Mamu has kept those lineups afloat and is already showing his versatility.
The 27-year-old is not afraid. He will make the extra pass or fire when open. Rui Hachimura is a lights-out shooter, but he offered little else. The Lakers upgraded to Mamu and are already seeing the benefits of adding versatility.
LA has been without starting center Walker Kessler, which has forced Mamukelashvili to play more minutes at the five. His best role is as a hybrid four, just like Odom. Let him create and punish mismatches, while not being forced to be the rim protector and defensive anchor.
Lakers fans will quickly fall in love with Mamu
Mamukelashvili already had the Lakers crowd on their feet, and it was only preseason. His stepback 3-pointer was a pleasant surprise, but the big man also made the right plays. He knew when to make a timely cut or pass out of a drive that was going nowhere. That offensive creativity is something LA lacked in their second unit.
Mamu became a fan favorite in Toronto during his lone season with the Raptors. He had a breakout year, but it was more than that. They loved having a backup big man who could shoot 38.9 percent from 3-point range, while doing everything else.
Fans want to be entertained. What is better than a reserve coming out and dropping 20 points, doing something fans haven’t seen for 15 years? Odom’s final season with the Lakers was 2011. It doesn’t seem that long ago, but time flies. It took that long for LA to find his replacement.
Lakers have tried and failed to find the next Lamar Odom until Mamu arrived
It wasn’t like Los Angeles hasn’t tried to find versatile big men. They had one year of Antawn Jamison, but he was already 36 years old and clearly declining. He only played 21.5 minutes per game and scored under ten points each night, well below Odom’s 13.7 per game in his seven years with the Lakers.
LA drafted Kyle Kuzma in 2017, but he never had the playmaking chops or versatility of Odom. Kuz was always looking to score, and the Lakers wisely moved on in the summer of 2021.
They took fliers on Montrezl Harrell and Carmelo Anthony, but neither was the answer. Harrell couldn’t space the floor, make plays, or replicate his impact from his days with the Clippers. Melo was 37 and in what turned out to be his final NBA season. It wasn’t the superstar fans remember from his Knicks and Nuggets days.
It took 15 years, but the Lakers finally found the answer. Mamu is in his prime and already showing off the versatility that made fans fall in love with Odom. He doesn’t have the same bounce or defensive chops, but the offense will bring excitement and help the purple and gold win. That is exactly what Odom did in LA.
The Los Angeles Lakers finally got the versatile reserve big man they’ve been searching for since Lamar Odom was traded in 2011. Sandro Mamukelashvili can do a bit of everything. The Lakers wanted more dribble, pass, and shoot players. They certainly got one here, and fans are quickly falling in love.
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