With the athletic Ed Davis, the scrappy Jordan Hill, the seasoned Carlos Boozer, the bruising building block Julius Randle, the sharp-shooting Ryan Kelly and the sideline-celebrating Robert Sacre all hungry for playing time, someone is going to be left starving.
The Lakers cannot let that someone be Davis, the 25-year-old who has often appeared an opportunity away from breaking through since being selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft.
With intriguing physical tools (6'10" with a 7'0" wingspan, via DraftExpress) and promising small-scale production (career 11.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes), he looks like a potential building block for a franchise in need of young talent.
The fact that he came by way of a clearance-rate, two-year, $2 million deal (player option for the second) solidified his standing as one of the summer's best signings:
"Ed is a versatile, young frontcourt player who, if he continues to work hard, will be a valuable contributor," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a team release. "We look forward to him furthering his development with the Lakers and are excited by what we think he can offer our team."
Judging by the executive's words, the Lakers will not—and certainly should not—earmark major minutes for the former lottery pick. As promising as his past appears, his resume reads free of any guarantees.
Davis needs to earn his spot, and the Lakers must figure out why he hasn't before.
"A guy that talented—who can score at the basket, rebound outside his area and turn away shots effectively—shouldn't have spent his career looking for a way to crack a rotation," wrote Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes. "Make no mistake, there's some mystery surrounding Davis."
Davis is something of ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
