The past few days have been a whirlwind for Los Angeles Lakers two-way guard Jordan Goodwin, who recently signed on Friday. He then found himself on the floor on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers due to Luka Doncic and LeBron James being sidelined.
It is not easy feat to be thrown into the fire, especially trying to learn how his teammates play with no practice time. All things considered, Goodwin held his own and ultimately was on the floor during the fourth quarter to get a win.
After trading Max Christie, the Lakers took a hit to their guard rotation and the new two-way guard had to step up. With that, he acknowledged that his defensive skillset is why he was brought to L.A.
“I think that was kind of known in training camp, that’s what they brought me in for,” Goodwin said. “I’m a defender. When I was out there, they didn’t have to tell me. I was going for the matchups myself. That’s the type of guy I am.”
Perhaps those who watched Saturday’s game were not familiar with the third-year player and he offered a brief summary on what his game is like.
“As far as my game, I just lay my head on defense first,” he said. “On offense, I can play 1-3, sometimes the 4 in pick-and-rolls. I feel like I’ve gotten better with my shot this year, 3-point shot. Just somebody you can put on the court anywhere on both sides of the ball. Not a liability on offense, definitely not a liability on defense.”
Indiana was playing good basketball heading into their matchup with the Lakers, so Goodwin defended against respectable guards like Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin.
In 25 minutes, the 26-year-old put up 10 points and four rebounds on 4-for-7 from the field and even made a 3-pointer. There were hiccups along the way due to Goodwin never playing with these players before, but his activity and willingness to make the right play on both ends led to him being in the closing lineup. Hopefully, he is able to build upon his debut to become a serviceable depth option when players miss time.
Jordan Goodwin ‘grateful’ for opportunity to land two-way contract
After a surprising trade deadline for the Lakers, their roster got flipped entirely with Luka Doncic walking in. To try a find a cheap guard to fill in for the rest of the regular season, Jordan Goodwin was that answer.
He expressed how ‘grateful’ he was to receive an opportunity to land a two-way contract with L.A.
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