Lakers News: Latest Updates on Keith Appling, Pau Gasol and More
As the 2014-15 NBA season approaches, the popular sentiment surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers is that it will be a long year.
Sure, Kobe Bryant is back, but the additions of Carlos Boozer and Jeremy Lin do little to inspire confidence in the loaded Western Conference. The best-case scenario would probably be a healthy season from Bryant, impressive development from rookie Julius Randle and then a big splash or two in the next offseason.
However, the team is still looking to put together its roster for this season, and there is some recent news out of Hollywood. With that in mind, here is a look at some of the latest updates from Lakers camp.
No More Keith Appling
The Lakers released former Michigan State guard Keith Appling and made it official with a statement on NBA.com/Lakers, “The Los Angeles Lakers have waived guard Keith Appling.”
Appling went undrafted after four years with the Spartans and played with the Portland Trail Blazers in summer league. He did appear in two preseason games for the Lakers but only managed to score two points, grab three rebounds and dish out two assists.
Appling never put up head-turning numbers at Michigan State, either, but he was known for his impressive defense, toughness and leadership. It is often cliche to describe someone as having intangibles, but Appling was always worth more to his team than the raw numbers suggested.
He averaged 10.6 points, 3.3 assists, three rebounds and 1.1 steals a game in his college career and could find his way onto a different NBA roster behind his defense and ability to set up teammates with assists.
Unfortunately for Appling, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders had some more bad news regarding his contract:
Pau Gasol Gave the Lakers Serious Consideration
Pau Gasol moved on to the Chicago Bulls this offseason, which made some sense if he wanted to contend late in his career. Still, he certainly gave some thought to returning to the purple and gold before ultimately choosing the Windy City.
Gasol suggested as much when discussing Kobe Bryant, via Michael Lee of The Washington Post:
"He wanted to pretty much retire together. That was an attractive option. One part of me wanted to stick with him and try to turn it around. But deep inside of me, I felt it was time after everything that I’d been through that I wanted to put myself in a position where I was highly stimulated. Kind of change directions a little bit, fresh start and get going again.
"
Considering Henry Abbott’s recent ESPN feature story on Bryant and the very real possibility that he has driven away some big-name free agents in the past, this is almost a breath of fresh air for Lakers fans and Bryant supporters. It is clearly possible to enjoy playing with the superstar.
Gasol signed with the Bulls for three years and $22 million, but he could have gotten more money elsewhere. The chance to play for a title with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Jimmy Butler and a solid mix of young players and veterans off the bench likely appealed to the 34-year-old Gasol.
At this point, it feels like a win for the Lakers that Gasol even granted them serious consideration. Perhaps some marquee free agents will grant the same consideration to Los Angeles in the next offseason.
Ronnie Price Primed to Make Roster
Bill Oram of the Orange County Register and NBA Analyst Chris Palmer suggest that Ronnie Price will be wearing a Lakers uniform this season:
The Lakers roster was down to 17 players after they waived Appling, but 13 players had full guaranteed contracts. The maximum number of players they can carry at the start of the regular season is 15, so there will only be one spot remaining if Price makes the opening-night rotation as No. 14.
That means guys like Jabari Brown, Wayne Ellington and Roscoe Smith have their work cut out for them in the coming days.
Presuming Price makes the team, this will be his 10th season in the league. He played in 31 games for the Orlando Magic in 2013-14 and averaged 2.4 points, 2.1 assists and 1.4 rebounds a night.
The other point guards on the Lakers roster have dealt with injuries this preseason, so Price has made the most of his opportunity. He even earned some praise from Mr. Bryant himself, via Serena Winters of Lakers Nation:
Price isn’t going to single-handedly win games for the Lakers this season, but he can provide a spark off the bench on both ends of the floor. He is always looking to set up his teammates with scoring chances and can spearhead some pressure defense if needed thanks to his quickness and athleticism.
There is nothing wrong with having a sparkplug on the end of the bench.
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