The Los Angeles Lakers have an extremely deep roster which makes it extremely difficult for many players to get consistent minutes.
One of the casualties of this was Troy Daniels who had some good moments during his time with the team but ultimately chose to be released so he could join a team with a rotation spot for him.
Daniels would eventually join the Denver Nuggets in hopes of being able to show off his skills in the 2020 NBA playoffs and should the 2019-20 NBA season be resumed, he will have that opportunity. But Daniels also knows that he was a part of a very special Lakers roster and it was something that was apparent to everyone very early on.
In an interview with Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times, Daniels spoke about his time with the Lakers, saying the team knew within a few games there was something special going on:
“Game six or seven, we knew, … ‘We have something special,’ ” Daniels said. “Everybody at that moment was playing really well and we were getting along very well, but we also had two of the best players in the league. … That’s a recipe for another championship.
Following their Opening Night loss, the Lakers would win 17 of their next 18 games putting the league on notice and making it clear to themselves that a championship was possible. It also served as something that pushed the Lakers every day:
“To know that you’re a part of something like that is something that you didn’t want to take for granted, so everybody would come in every single day working their tails off.”
It can not be overstated how well the Lakers roster gelled together from the beginning. LeBron James and Anthony Davis set the tone and it forces everyone else to fall in line. There was one goal of this group from the beginning and that was to win a championship and that never faltered throughout this season regardless of who was on the roster.
Daniels was a beloved member of the team and it was undoubtedly a tough decision for him to decide to leave the Lakers for another team.
As he said, the team knew they would be special early on and that showed itself throughout the season. Hopefully, they will be able to try and finish out the season with the championship they were shooting for and Daniels can show his skills on the big stage as he desires.