When the Los Angeles Lakers signed former Golden State Warriors forward Juan Toscano-Anderson in free agency, the fanbase was ecstatic that the team was bringing in a high-energy, defense-first player with a championship pedigree.
Heading into the 2022-23 season, the 29-year-old forward looks to bring perimeter shooting and defense to a team that with new head coach Darvin Ham will prioritize spacing and hanging the Lakers’ hat on the defensive end.
At a recent shootaround, Tosacano-Anderson went beyond the surface in what he wants to contribute to the Purple amd Gold. Not only does he share the team-first mindset, but he desires to use this season to establish himself and further his credibility as an NBA player, hopefully leading to a long-term stay with the team, via Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group:
“What I’m trying to do is solidify myself in this league where people know me as a 3-and-D guy, I’m not just a fringe guy. People are trying to figure out what I can do. This is the year I want to establish myself and help my team win first and foremost because I’m a team-first guy, but personally, I want to play well so I can have longevity in this league, so I can get a big contract – three, four years hopefully with the Lakers. I would love to have longevity here in this organization and in this city. I think it’s the biggest platform in all of sports. One of the biggest brands in the world. Lakers is like Coca Cola and Nike. Everybody knows the Lakers wherever you go, so I would love to stay here and create a niche here and create a life here. But that’s just me going back to staying the course, and taking advantage of the opportunity I have. This is my opportunity and I’m gonna do my best to seize it.”
With the Lakers needing the desire to win from all its’ contributors, Toscano-Anderson seems to be the right culture fit for a franchise looking to bounce back to winning stature.
Playing with a skilset that can help any team in the league, Toscano-Anderson will be fun to observe this season as he looks to help the team both on and off the court.
Ham continues to support Westbrook
If the Lakers are going to have a successful season then all of the players will need to buy in the same way that Toscano-Anderson has.
That may be a difficult task for Russell Westbrook, who continues to constantly hear his name in trade rumors. Through it all though, Ham has continued to support Westbrook, recently expressing joy to have him on the roster this season.
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