Courtney Sims – 6’11”, 245-pound forward/center, Michigan
Sims played four years of college ball and went undrafted, but he has served very short stints with the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks. During the summer league, Sims proved to be a very solid player overall. He still has plenty of room to develop both offensively and defensively, but the talent is definitely there – he recorded a triple-double in the NBA’s Developmental League with 22 points, 17 rebounds and 11 blocked shots two years ago.
Again, with the Lakers short of big bodies off the bench, Sims could make the team. In case Bynum goes down with another injury, the Lakers might play it safe and add Sims to the roster as an insurance policy.
Jeremy Lin, 6’3”, 200-pound guard, Harvard
During his senior year in high school, Lin led his Palo Alto team to a CIF Division II State title and was the runaway choice for Player of the Year by nearly every California publication – but despite his stellar play, he didn’t receive a single Division I scholarship offer. During his senior year in college, Lin was a finalist for the John R. Wooden award (best DI player in the country) and the Bob Cousy award (best DI point guard in the country) – but despite a solid four years at Harvard, he did not get drafted by any team.
However, Lin was given a chance to play for the Dallas Mavericks summer league team to showcase his talents and prove the all the doubters wrong. In one summer league game, he forced No. 1 overall pick John Wall into a 4-19 shooting night. I would think that’s enough evidence for NBA executives to think that he belongs. His length and athleticism could sure come in handy for the Lakers defending the likes of bigger, quicker guards.
On the offensive end, his ability to get to the basket allows him to create plays for himself and for others. The Lakers have shown interest and hey, he’d be a good marketing ploy for the Asian American population in Los Angeles so why not give him a chance? Lin is a well-rounded player and very fundamentally sound, and though the Lakers might be overcrowded at the guard position, I think Mitch Kupchak should take a hard, long look at what Lin can bring to the table.