Back on Dec. 7, Los Angeles Lakers’ coach Byron Scott decided to bench Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin due to poor results. The 12-year pro admitted he was surprised by the move.
It’s been more surprising how well Boozer has played in his new role. Boozer was amnestied by the defensive-minded Chicago Bulls over the summer. The Lakers quickly claimed him off waivers.
Since coming off the bench, Boozer has scored 13.5 points and pulled down nearly eight rebounds a game. He’s shooting over 55 percent from the field playing with the second unit as opposed to the 48 percent when he was starting.
Boozer is taking full advantage playing against the other teams’ bench players. He’s been a solid veteran throughout his career. Solid post playing and tremendous rebounding has kept Boozer in the league. Defense has always been his weakness, but coming off the bench, he’s asked to come in and score.
The pressure is off Boozer to guard the opposing front-court players. The move to the bench has freed up Boozer to focus on scoring the basketball. The Lakers’ bench is actually better with Boozer on the bench. Nick Young, Lin and Wayne Ellington have benefited from him scoring inside.
During his tenure with Chicago, Boozer was often benched in the fourth quarter because of his defensive limitations. With the Lakers, he’s playing meaningful minutes in the end. His confidence has been restored and his play on the court is reflecting that.
At this point in Boozer’s career, the 33-year-old may have found his new role. He is showing the rest of the NBA (and Lakers) that he can be a solid contributor off the bench.
In tonight’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, he scored 13 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He was 6-8 from the floor. He had a double-double last game against the Orlando Magic, and nearly had a second double-double tonight. Boozer’s demotion may have been a blessing in disguise for his career.
The Lakers more than likely will not retain his services in the summer. But if the Lakers make a splash and sign two marquee players in the offseason, it wouldn’t be farfetched to see Los Angeles have him stick around and provide some bench scoring alongside Swaggy P.
Pablo Jacobo is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @pjacobosports, “Like” him on Facebook or add him on Google.
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