The Los Angeles Lakers brought in a number of players this offseason in order to improve their 3-point shooting and arguably the best of the bunch is Wayne Ellington. A career 38.2% 3-point shooter, Ellington has shot at least 35% from deep in all but one of his 12 NBA seasons and is coming off his best 3-point shooting season since 2014, knocking down 42.2% on six attempts per game with the Detroit Pistons.
The question for Ellington and all of the Lakers’ new players is how the rotation and minutes will shake out. Kendrick Nunn, Kent Bazemore, Malik Monk and the returning Talen Horton-Tucker will all be vying for backcourt minutes this season and there simply aren’t enough to go around, which will lead to a couple of these players not seeing as much time on the court as they would like.
But Ellington isn’t concerned with that and maintains that he will put the team first as he has already been through every kind of situation there is. “I think the first thing is to be selfless,” Ellington said. “Put the team first. Put the team first and be ready to do what’s needed of you.
“I’m a guy that’s has been in all of those situations. I’ve been a guy that has come off the bench. I’ve started. I’ve played a little, I’ve played a lot. I’m prepared. I’m ready for all that stuff, so I think as long as you put the team first and have that mindset that we’re coming into this thing to help win a championship and keep that goal at the top of the list, we’ll be just fine.”
Ellington has indeed been through everything there is to go through in the NBA and that knowledge will allow him to stay prepared regardless of what is going on. Different matchups and situations will call for different rotations and the veteran will be ready to go whenever his number is called and this is something that many players have already spoken about. The Lakers are deep and that means some players just won’t play as much.
But the end goal remains winning a championship and as long as all of the Lakers are on the same page, things should work out just fine.
Ellington believes he will get the best looks of his career
When Ellington does get on the court, he does believe he will greatly benefit from the stars of the Lakers. With playmakers such as LeBron James and Russell Westbrook, Ellington is prepared to get the best looks he’s ever had in his career.
“Obviously, like I said, with the type of attack game and type of ability a lot of the guys in obviously Russ and LeBron [James], AD and the attention those guys demand,” Ellington said. “The way they get into that paint and the way teams have to guard those guys, my 3-point shooting is going to be a premium, so I look forward to being able to complement those guys. I feel like I’m going to get some of the best looks out of not only my NBA career but in my life this coming season.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!