While it is still very early for the Los Angeles Lakers to flip the page from a very disappointing start to the season, in the 13 games that they have played, there have not been many positive moments for the Lakers faithful to take away with.
One of the uplifting memories the Lakers have been able to hold on so far is the buzzer-beating corner 3-pointer that Matt Ryan hit against the New Orleans Pelicans. Ryan, who worked his role up from a training camp invitation, has proven to be a spark off the bench for a team searching for answers.
The story of Ryan from being a DoorDash delivery driver to now living a dream a small percentage of individuals get to accomplish is motivating. When talking about his grind to professional basketball in an interview with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Ryan describes the moment of when being in the NBA clicked:
“I thought my ‘Welcome to the NBA moment’ was after we make that big shot, then we play Utah a couple nights later and I pretty much did nothing,” Ryan said. “One night you might have to save the day, the other night you might literally not be asked to do anything. So it’s just a matter of just staying ready, trying to be as consistent as possible.”
In life and in the NBA, you never know when your opportunity to shine will occur. The ‘stay ready’ mindset that Ryan as equipped has elevated his name and his sharpshooting ability to the national stage. Even though the 25-year-old wing comes off the bench, his process of waiting for Darvin Ham to call his number is mature like a seasoned NBA veteran:
“Even when I stand up to cheer, I do a quick hamstring stretch or hip stretch just trying to stay loose,” Ryan said. “So I was ready to go in. I remember staying loose towards the end of the fourth quarter because it was a close game. I was like, ‘If this gets to a 3-point game, I might have to go back in there.'”
The sky is the limit for Ryan when it comes to shooting the basketball. Maybe he can become the next great perimeter shooter alongside LeBron James, but in the meantime, Ham and the Lakers can continue to develop and rely on the big-time play Ryan can provide the Purple and Gold.
Davis believes Lakers need to trim down on ‘my bad’ plays
It is the little things that create a winning team in the NBA. For the Lakers, the grand weaknesses like perimeter shooting are taking a toll, but so are the mini mistakes that do not really show up on the box score.
Anthony Davis recently stated he believes the Lakers need to cut down on the ‘my bad’ plays throughout the course of games.
Davis, who is continuing to find his voice as a leader in the Purple and Gold locker room, is taking the necessary steps to cultivate a culture of accountability on a young Lakers roster.
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