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The Los Angeles Lakers made a surprising move by offering a new contract to Ryan Kelly two years ago. He had certainly shown some promise as a rookie, but if anything, it was thought that they could bring him back for the minimum as he tried to prove that he belonged in the league. Instead, the team signed him for almost $2 million year, and he has yet to make a significant impact. The organization can move on this summer, and should try to look for other players to fill out their roster.
Kelly has shown some potential as a big man with a good shooting form, and a decent grasp of the game. However, he never really proved to be a consistent shooter, shooting below 34 percent from deep in each of his seasons. His field goal percentage has dropped since his rookie year, and he is no longer a reliable option on offense. He doesn’t have the ability to score in the post, and isn’t a strong finisher at the rim. He has a nice pump fake, but that is really the only move in his arsenal that allows him to create any separation from his defender.
Coaches have tried him at different spots on defense, and he has never been able to truly find his role. He is too slow to keep up with wings, and has trouble defending big men in the post. He did provide the occasional block during a game, but was not a consistent rim protector. He didn’t have much help from his teammates, and sometimes drew tough assignments, but he never stepped up to meet the challenge.
Kelly is still young and does have an intriguing skillset that other organizations could use. He has a lot of room to grow, and can certainly improve his game enough to continue playing in the league. However, it should be with another team as the Lakers need to move on and pursue other players.
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