The Los Angeles Lakers’ preseason is an opportunity for rookies, two-way and undrafted players to get reps in. It is a noticeable jump from college to the NBA due to the fast pace, so having a cushion before the regular season could make a difference.
But for undrafted rookie Quincy Olivari, the preseason is a chance to earn a roster spot. Whether in L.A. or elsewhere, someone is always watching and Olivari took advantage of his fourth quarter minutes on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks.
In nine minutes, the 23-year-old scored 11 points on 4-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range to lead a big comeback victory, also providing tenacious defense by picking up full court and causing turnovers.
While that performance was impressive, Olivari is trying to show he can replicate it and become an NBA rotation player. Lakers cguard Gabe Vincent was in a similar position as an undrafted free agent that has now established himself as a quality NBA player. Because of that, Olivari has been picking Vincent’s brain to carve out a similar career, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“I think the biggest thing every vet could say if they came in here is that I ask a lot of questions. I ask Gabe a lot of questions, where that’s his time with the Heat, what is it like playing for Coach Spoelstra? What is Jimmy Butler like? What is the Heat Culture like? What did it take for him to get to where he’s at because Coach Emery’s brother Coach Brian would always say I could be just like Gabe Vincent, we’re about the same size and I can do the same thing he does, and he’s he’s made a career here. So just always coming in here and asking questions, I mean, I have a lot of knowledge whether that’s LeBron, AD, AR, DLo, Gabe Vincent. It’s just so much knowledge that can be soaked up that I try my best to take advantage of this opportunity.”
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the undrafted guard as he gets to witness two greats in LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as accomplished guards that he can learn from like Vincent, D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves.
Hopefully, Olivari’s late-game heroics earn him a serious chance to potentially earn a two-way spot. But if things should not materialize, Olivari can apply this knowledge to whatever is next in his basketball journey.
JJ Redick happy to have Quincy Olivari in Lakers organization
In today’s NBA game, there are not many players that pick up full court and make players work to get up the court. For a player like Quincy Olivari, he needs to have that competitive edge and head coach JJ Redick is happy to have him in the organization.
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