Enjoy these video highlights of Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard D’Angelo Russell from 2015 summer league:
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Roy Hibbert says he will dominate defensively for Lakers
Here’s the Orange County Register reporting on new Lakers center Roy Hibbert, who the Indiana Pacers basically traded to Los Angeles for nothing:
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To Larry Bird and others in charge in Indiana, Roy Hibbert was a lost cause. A lumbering center with little offensive game and a disinterested temperament, they were happy pawning him off for nothing more than a future second-round draft pick.
The Lakers, however, view Hibbert as a player who can not only regain his standing as an All-Star big man, but anchor their anemic defense, which last year ranked second-worst in the NBA.
“I expect to play at an All-Star defensive level, and everything else will come,” Hibbert said Wednesday.
Hibbert, 28, was introduced at the Lakers facility along with free agents Lou Williams and Brandon Bass, a clutch of veterans expected to help ease the burden on the team’s young core.
New Lakers have not heard from Kobe yet
Here’s ESPN Los Angeles reporting on the Lakers, a team in serious transition, still kind-of built around old Kobe Bryant. Sort of. Money-wise, at least. Off-court communication-wise, maybe not so much right now.
When a new player joins the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s almost custom to ask whether he’s heard from the franchise’s longtime star Kobe Bryant and what — if any — advice, wisdom or expectations the veteran guard shared.
That question was posed Wednesday to forward Brandon Bass, guard Lou Williams and center Roy Hibbert, all of whom the Lakers acquired this offseason, the first two through free agency and the last through a trade with the Indiana Pacers.
And all three players, who were introduced at the team’s practice facility, offered the same answer: silence.
They looked at one another; Hibbert shook his head “no,” and they sat there. Bass smiled.
Jordan Hill says Kobe Bryant really likes to talk when on the court
Kobe Bryant is a leader. And leaders generally like to talk. A lot, sometimes. Here’s Jordan Hill discussing former teammate Kobe Bryant, as reported by ESPN LA:
Jordan Hill joined the Los Angeles Lakers in March 2012, and in the three seasons that followed, the forward learned what it was like playing with star Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.
“When he’s on the floor, it’s like [exhales], all you hear is Kobe’s mouth,” Hill said when he was introduced by the Indiana Pacers, who acquired him through free agency this summer.
“He’s on the floor, all you hear is Kobe’s mouth, like during practice and games, it get loud. It get loud. A lot of people can’t handle that, I guess.”
Pacers trade Roy Hibbert to Lakers
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The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday acquired center Roy Hibbert in a trade with the Indiana Pacers, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. In exchange the Pacers will receive a future second round pick.
In other words, the Pacers basically said, “here, take Hibbert.”
“We’re happy to add a veteran big man to the roster,” said Kupchak. “Roy is a proven All-Star center that will help improve our front line. In addition he is a consummate professional and we look forward to having him on the team.”
Hibbert is very effective on defense. Offensively, he is limited.
“I’d like to thank Roy for all his contributions during his time in Indiana,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He was a two-time NBA All-Star, and we appreciate everything he did for our franchise both on and off the court.”
A seven-year NBA veteran and two-time All-Star (2012 and 2014), Hibbert appeared in 76 games (all starts) with the Pacers last season, averaging 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes.
Originally selected by the Toronto Raptors with the 17th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, the Queens, New York native was acquired by the Pacers shortly before his rookie campaign and has appeared in 533 career games (492 starts) with Indiana, averaging 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.9 minutes. In 2014, Hibbert was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team after he finished the season ranked fourth in the NBA with 182 blocks (2.25 per game). The 7’2” center out of Georgetown has appeared and started in 54 postseason games averaging 12.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocked shots in 31.6 minutes.
Lakers sign Brandon Bass
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward Brandon Bass to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
“I am excited to add a player of Brandon’s skill level and character to our roster,” said Kupchak. “His work ethic, toughness, and selfless play lend themselves well to our team.”
Bass is a solid player and it’ll be interesting to see how he fits alongside newly-acquired Lakers center Roy Hibbert.
The Lakers are still not in a position to be very competitive in a very difficult Western conference.
A 10-year NBA veteran, Bass spent the last four years of his career with Boston, most recently averaging 10.6 points on 50.4% shooting in addition to 4.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game last season. Since 2012-13, Bass has played in 245 of a possible 246 games (185 starts), including playing in all 82 games the last two seasons. For his career, the 30-year-old Bass holds averages of 9.1 points on 49.3% shooting and 4.7 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game.
The 33rd pick of the 2005 NBA Draft by New Orleans, Bass spent the first two seasons of his career with the then-Hornets before signing as a free agent with Dallas in 2007, where he spent his next two seasons (2007-09). In the summer of 2009, the Baton Rouge native signed a free agent deal with Orlando, where he remained until being traded to Boston on December 12, 2011. Prior to the NBA, the 2005 SEC Player of the Year spent two seasons at LSU before declaring for the Draft following his sophomore season.
Lakers sign Lou Williams
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The Los Angeles Lakers have signed reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams to a multi-year contract, it was announced yesterday by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
“I am pleased to welcome Lou to the Laker family,” said Kupchak. “We look forward to his contributions both on-court in bolstering our guard rotation, and also for the veteran leadership he can provide to our young players in the locker room.”
Last season with Toronto, Williams averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game in 80 appearances off the bench, leading to his selection at year’s end as the NBA’s most valuable player in a reserve role. The 10-year veteran also led the Raptors in free throw percentage (86.1%) and made a career-high 152 three-pointers. On March 4, Williams set a Raptors record for points in a quarter with 21 in the fourth period against Cleveland.
Selected by Philadelphia with the 45th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft out of South Gwinnett High School (GA), the 28-year-old spent his first seven NBA seasons with the 76ers before signing with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2012 offseason, and was traded to the Raptors last summer. For his career, Williams holds averages of 11.9 points, 2.9 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 22.9 minutes per game over 634 contests.
Lakers sign second round pick Anthony Brown
The Los Angeles Lakers yesterday signed Anthony Brown, the 34th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, to a multi-year contract, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
Brown, a 6-7 guard/forward from Stanford, appeared in 37 games (36 starts) for the Cardinal last season, recording 14.8 points, a team-high 6.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.1% from the field and 44.1% from three-point range. As a senior, Brown helped lead Stanford to the 2015 NIT championship and was named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team in addition to earning an All-Pac-12 Honorable mention. The Southern California native finished his career at Stanford averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 144 games (106 starts).
Lakers, Lou Williams agree to deal
It’s been a tough free agency period for the Lakers. They need all the help they can get, at almost every position. And even though they already have a scoring guard by the name of Kobe Bryant, adding another will help, whether that player gets used as a point guard or simply as scoring punch off the bench. They just need players, period. Enter Lou Williams. Here’s the Toronto Star reporting:
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Lou Williams has a new home and the Raptors have escaped making another tough decision that might not have resonated well with fans.
Williams, reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $21 million (U.S.) contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, sparing the Raptors from being anything like a villain in the departure of another free agent.
Along with Amir Johnson (to Boston on a two-year, $24 million deal) Johnson was a key part of last year’s Raptor success, and there were fans who would have liked both to return.
But the Raptors were not going to pay Williams that salary for three years and they weren’t going to go near $12 million a season for Johnson.
2015 Lakers summer league roster
The Los Angeles Lakers announced today their roster for the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The Summer League entry is highlighted by returning Lakers Julius Randle, 2015 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Jordan Clarkson, Tarik Black and Jabari Brown along with 2015 NBA Draft selections D’Angelo Russell (second overall), Larry Nance Jr. (27th overall) and Anthony Brown (34th overall). Dwight Buycks, who was signed by Los Angeles to a 10-day contract in April of last season, and undrafted rookie Robert Upshaw are also part of the squad.
The team will hold its first practice next Monday, July 6 at the Toyota Sports Center and begin Summer League play in Las Vegas with a back-to-back set of games on Friday, July 10 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Saturday, July 11 versus the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers then follow up with a contest against the New York Knicks on Monday, July 13 before the Summer League tournament begins.
Full roster here: Lakers summer league roster