With the deadline to get the roster down to 15 players coming up soon, the Los Angeles Lakers had to make moves before the start of the regular season. The first one was made as Yi Jianlian asked to be released from his deal which left the Lakers at 16 players.
Most assumed that the final roster spot would come down to Thomas Robinson and Metta World Peace but in a surprising twist, the Lakers officially announced that they have waived second-year guard Anthony Brown:
The Los Angeles Lakers have waived forward Anthony Brown, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
Brown appeared in six games this preseason, averaging 3.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per game. As a rookie with the Lakers last season, Brown averaged 4.0 points and 2.4 rebounds in 29 games (11 starts).
The Lakers roster (attached) stands at 15.
As someone who had potential as a ‘3-and-D’ wing and was on a guaranteed contract, it seemed like a lock that Brown would make the team, but unfortunately his struggles to consistently make shots doomed him.
The Lakers drafted Brown last season in the second round, 34th overall. He was their third pick of the draft after D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Brown. At 6’8 with solid speed, length, and athleticism, as well as shooting over 40 percent from three-point range in each of his last two seasons at Stanford, it’s easy to see what the Lakers saw in Brown.
While his defense was solid for the most part, Brown just never seemed comfortable on the court, especially when it came to his shooting. He also wasn’t great at creating his own shots off the dribble which ultimately limited his effectiveness on offense.
With this move, the Lakers have decided to keep both Metta World Peace and Thomas Robinson on the final roster.
