One of the central themes of this preseason for the Los Angeles Lakers has been early impressions of freshly-signed big man Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The Lakers may be slightly worried about their thin frontcourt depth, especially with Walker Kessler sidelined with a finger injury, but Mamukelashvili has somewhat eased those concerns as the preseason unfolds.
While Mamukelashvili wasn’t signed to play center for the Lakers, that is very well what he may find himself doing at least until around the trade deadline, when L.A. could position itself to grab an impact big man to shore up the frontline. In the meantime, Mamukelashvili, the 27-year-old Georgian star, looks prepared to help hold down the fort.
Lakers Superstar Gives Lofty Review of Mamu
One way to ingratiate yourself in a new environment? Earn the attention of the guy running the show. In this case, everyone wearing a purple-and-gold uniform is there to prove to superstar point guard Luka Doncic that they can be counted on in crucial stretches of games. It is fair to say that Mamukelashvili has already done his part.
“I knew what kind of player he was,” Doncic expressed after Saturday’s Lakers practice (h/t HoopsRumors.com). “Obviously played against him, but I think just his ability to handle the ball and to see the court, some of his passes, I think is very underrated. That’s the thing that most impressed me.”
Said Lakers guard Austin Reaves: “He’s a good basketball player. I think he struggled a little bit during the first of camp, and I think he was just worried about not doing the right thing every single possession. I know JJ talked to him, I talked to him, I’m sure Luka talked to him and we told him that he’s here for a reason. We believe in him and we want him to be himself and that’s been the main message to him.”
Interestingly, Mamukelashvili, the scoring-minded big man, has picked up tons of praise for his ability to see the floor and play-make like a guard. In fact, Reaves made a pitch for Mamukelashvili to play like a point guard, saying, “He’s got such a high basketball IQ that if he gets the rebound, he should basically play the one.”
Mamu Has Been a “Revelation”
It is not like the Lakers had limited expectations for Mamukelashvili; the big man signed a four-year deal worth roughly $52 million, making him quite the investment for a team that had just lost veteran stars LeBron James and Rui Hachimura. But Mamukelashvili is surely making the Lakers look smart for giving him that contract, with each of his first three Lakers games showing why he is angling to have a large role for his new team.
“I think it’s clear through the first three games (that) Mamu is the standout guy,” Lakers reporter Jovan Buha said during a recent live-stream. “… He’s done just about everything you’d want from him. I think the rebounding is the one thing that could be better with Mamu, though that is not really of strength of his game. … Mamu has been a revelation. We’ve talked about this impact he’s had. He embodies the dribble-pass-shoot identity that the Lakers are trying to cultivate.”
Mamukelashvili is expected to have multiple roles this season, from potentially starting at power forward to playing backup center. Having that level of versatility from a big man can often lead to more wins.
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