The Los Angeles Lakers have lost two straight games to open the 2022-23 season. They will look to change their fortunes when they face the undefeated Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.
The squad will get a boost as newcomer Troy Brown Jr. is set to make his Lakers debut. It seems that the No. 15 pick of the 2018 draft will be a part of the rotation, as head coach Darvin Ham said he will be “thrown right into the fire.”
Troy Brown Jr. will be “thrown right into the fire,” Darvin Ham says. He’ll debut today against Portland
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) October 23, 2022
One of the needs that L.A. addressed in the past offseason was wing depth. The Lakers front office partially addressed that need by bringing in the 23-year-old small forward via free agency.
Brown last played for the Chicago Bulls, having been with the organization since the middle of the 2020-21 campaign. Prior to his stint with the Bulls, he represented the Washington Wizards, the team that drafted him in 2018.
Through four seasons in the league, the University of Oregon product has recorded 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest.
Ahead of his debut, he explained the role he expects to play for the Lakers.
“Defensively, just plugging in gaps, using my length,” Brown said. “II see a lot of guys driving like through the middle, just like being at that nail, being able to stunt, give guys like a quick second just to get back in front off the pick and rolls, or be one of the X-outs on the backside. Like, just being able to play that and force teams to make those hang passes to buy us more time to get into sets.”
While the Lakers do need the added height and athleticism on the wings for defense, there is still the matter of addressing their lack of 3-point shooting.
Through two games, the team has shot 19-for-85 from beyond the arc. The 22 percent shooting clip is the worst 3-point shooting percentage by any NBA team that’s attempted at least 60 3-pointers through two games.
Not good 🫤 pic.twitter.com/73gbSovlyz
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) October 21, 2022
It is unclear if inserting Brown into the mix can help in that department as he is a career 33.7 percent shooter from 3-point range.
The Lakers certainly have lots of work to do if they want to make a return to the playoffs. Last season, the Purple and Gold did not qualify after finishing with a 33-49 record. The record placed L.A. 11th in the West, just outside of a play-in tournament berth.
Hopefully, Ham has an ace up his sleeve to help the Lakers get in the win column.
