The Los Angeles Lakers power forward may have dropped 20 points in his team's surprising victory, but he's going to go on to make more of a name for himself as his rookie season progresses.
After the game, he told NBC Los Angeles' Shahan Ahmed, "We really want to win. That sounds cheesy, but we needed it." Apparently, he's already bought into the L.A. mentality.
Even though these Lakers are lacking in the talent department, they're refusing to give up. And Kelly is no different.
So, who is this guy? You probably know he's a first-year player out of Duke, but there's more to the 22-year-old power forward than that.
Always Been on the Radar
Ever since he burst onto the national scene as a high school standout at Ravenscroft School in North Carolina, Kelly has been highly regarded by scouts.
During his senior year (2009), the power forward was named a McDonald's All-American, and Scout.com had him ranked as a 5-star collegiate prospect. In fact, he was the No. 4 player at his position throughout the country, and you can see how many future NBA players (bolded text) were featured in the top 10 that year:
John Henson Renardo Sidney Mouphtaou Yarou Ryan Kelly Dante Taylor Mason Plumlee Wally Judge Milton Jennings Thomas Robinson Royce White He wouldn't disappoint much, though he never really lived up to the lofty expectations.
Kelly enjoyed a solid career with the Duke Blue Devils, one of the five teams that recruited him out of high school, along with Georgetown, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. He didn't play much as a freshman, but his minutes slowly increased throughout his four-year tenure under Mike Krzyzewski.
During his senior season,...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
