NBA Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers’ Gamble On Ed Davis, Wayne Ellington Combo Paying Off

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By @fanforlife1988

Wayne Ellington Hits the Three Pointer for the Los Angeles Lakers

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The Los Angeles Lakers may only be five games into the NBA season, but everything already seems to be chalked up to a disaster. Yes, Julius Randle is out for the season, and the Lakers sport the league’s worst defense. But beyond losing to four of the better teams in the West, the Lakers have had a few bright spots thus far. Kobe Bryant has not lost a big step in his game, and Jordan Hill has been very productive as a starter. Beyond those two, things seem to be bleak. The Lakers did make a pair of solid pickups this offseason, however, by acquiring former North Carolina Tar Heels Ed Davis and Wayne Ellington. With Davis and Ellington, there is a lot more than meets the eye; they joined the Lakers looking for an opportunity to continue an elite tradition the University of North Carolina has had with the purple and gold for many years.

When the Lakers signed Davis to a deal this past offseason, many were unsure of what they’d receive from a player who has produced in limited minutes throughout his career. In these fives games, Davis has been the team’s fourth leading scorer (10.4 per game) and second in rebounds (7.2 per game), despite coming off the bench in every contest. His shooting from the field has also been excellent, currently sitting at 67 percent. Davis’ size and athleticism afford him with a very unique role on the Lakers, as they sorely lack in several facets defensively. It’s clear that if Davis continues to perform well in limited minutes, that head coach Byron Scott will look to make the move the pair Davis with Jordan Hill in the starting lineup.

Davis’ former North Carolina teammate Ellington is currently coming off the bench for the Lakers as well. Ellington has been a journeyman since joining the league in 2009, and like Davis, has the chance to distinguish himself now. Ellington’s sharpshooting and beautiful looking jump shot have received praise from the coaching staff, as he continues to be reliable offensively. Ellington is averaging 7.5 points on 54.2 percent shooting — an astounding number for a guard. While the efficiency of his shooting will certainly go down, Ellington’s contributions should not, as Scott continues to trust him as part of the second unit.

Look for Ellington to receive more playing time, and as long as he’s a threat from the outside, he will remain within Scott’s rotation. If Ellington can defend the opposing teams’ primary guards effectively, Scott could look to bring him in as a crunch time player, sliding Bryant to the small forward spot in the process. Ellington started in 112-of-115 games at Chapel Hill, and was one of the team’s leaders during their 2009 NCAA Championship run. His size as a shooting guard has been a detriment to his overall status in the NBA, but Ellington has worked diligently to improve his ball handling skills. He has survived during his five seasons in the league, and now has the chance to learn ways to improve his overall from Bryant.

With Davis and Ellington receiving these type of endorsements from Bryant and Scott, the two Tar Heels have a chance to not only improve their stock as NBA players, but potentially find a home in Los Angeles, which is in need of young, improving talent. It doesn’t hurt when the the Lakers’ legacy is full of great players from Chapel Hill. Starting with general manager Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers have had great success with their Tar Heels; this list also includes Hall of Famer, James Worthy and Rick Fox, another member of Lakers championship lore who received his start under Dean Smith. The list continues on and serves as a motivating factor for Davis and Ellington to continue their overall improvement, for when the Lakers are looking at offseason moves, they will give more than a fair look two these two promising players.

After a winless start to the season, the Lakers cannot sulk in the past. They have 77 games remaining, and plenty of time to improve. With Davis and Ellington, the Lakers may have found some Tar Heel magic once again, and will need to help these two grow into the successful players many thought they could be when they were at UNC. The Lakers may not have found much success with their offseason moves, but the pickups of Davis and Ellington have proven that relying on tradition every now and then is certainly not a bad thing.

Zach Fetaru is a Los Angeles Lakers writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @fanforlife1988 ”like him” on Facebook and add him to your network on Google. 

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