Los Angeles Lakers: Wayne Ellington Inks Deal
By Shane Young
The Los Angeles Lakers always know how to give us something to talk about during a dead period.
In the Pacific Division, much like the rest of the league, nothing is currently happening in the pile of remaining free agents, or in the trade mill.
Well, it might as well be nothing.
Through all of the disagreement between Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns, the division is nearly set to have their official rosters, and training camps will begin directly after media days next week.
For the Lakers, though, adding young legs to the backcourt is always viewed as an optimistic time for the franchise. With some though, including their latest addition, there’s not much to be excited over.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Marc Spears, Los Angeles has recently announced their latest signing of shooting guard Wayne Ellington.
Ellington would make the 14th player included on Byron Scott‘s roster to this point, and of course he’s not even guaranteed to make the team after training camp is concluded. That will be up to the organization, but it’s never a bad sign to see guys getting their chance to prove how worthy they can be.
Ellington isn’t a new face around the league. If you haven’t heard of him, it’s because he’s been flying underneath the radar. In actuality, he’s been unnoticed more than any other renowned player of the 2009 North Carolina Tar Heels. You remember them, correct? It was only the team that ransacked Michigan State in the NCAA Championship game that season, under Roy Williams.
Hearing the names of Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, and Ty Lawson, you would completely undermine the important of Ellington, who hasn’t been the household name that his former teammates may be. With that group, there’s a best of each world. Green is your two-way shooting guard on a title-winning team (Spurs), Lawson is your hazy top 10 point guard in today’s league, and Hansbrough exemplifies the two-fisted, defensive worker for a frontcourt.
Where does Ellington fall?
For Memphis, Cleveland, and Minnesota, he fit into the role of an outside shooter, whether it be off the catch or getting himself into position.
His first three years as a pro were spent with Kevin Love in the Timberwolves’ system, where he wouldn’t play more than 19 minutes per game. Nonetheless, long-range shooting off the bench is what helped him excel in being a reliable wingman to put on the floor. Through his three years in Minnesota, Ellington attempted 391 perimeter jumpers, and connected on 147 of them, giving him a more than respectable 37.6 percent efficiency. If you don’t have access to a Mike Miller or Ray Allen, that’s around the same type of output you would hope for in backup guards.
Transitioning to the Cavaliers, Ellington was able to start the most games he’s ever had in one season (17). Placing it into context, we all aren’t blind to the fact of Cleveland being distressed during the 2012-13 season, in which they would beg anyone in the free agency pool to help them win over 25 games. With the minutes increase — and more comfortable role — Ellington had his best statistical season, finally being a double-digit scorer (10.4 per game) and shooting 44 percent from the field, the highest mark of his short career.
Also with Cleveland, Ellington set his career-high in True Shooting Percentage (55.6 percent), which takes into account his effectiveness from two’s, triples, and free throws, and gives more weight to how he shoots from long distance. In terms of being a team player, his minutes with Cleveland also resulted in a career-high in Assist Percentage (10.3), as he has young, athletic bodies around him that were eager to score … and not play defense.
In Memphis, he likely found his favorite niche, as he could be a part of a playoff-caliber team and still get bench minutes. But, from the perspective of being an individual talent that could silence his draft doubters, chances haven’t been there in the last two offensive systems he’s been with.
Care to guess the overlooked storyline to why Ellington may make the Lakers’ roster?
His coach in Cleveland — his best individual year — happened to be Byron Scott, who just took over the reigns of the Lakers. That’s right, as Scott knows the ups and downs he can go through, and he’s already experienced the rotation tendencies with Ellington.
Ellington quickly strikes you as the same body type that Xavier Henry owns, which is a stronger upper body that also has abilities to get around defenders with his quickness. The athletic ability to rise above the rim and get out on the fastbreak doesn’t seem to match Henry’s, and Ellington’s shooting is vastly better, but they are similar in a side-by-side view.
Their Player Efficiency Ratings (PER) from last season? Henry earned a 12.36, while Ellington garnered a 12.29.
Making the team could be a higher possibility than many believe, but that doesn’t indicate he’ll get playing time. Henry, Jeremy Lin, the youngster Jordan Clarkson, and Nick Young will have to fit right in behind Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Things get crowded quick, don’t they?
It doesn’t matter who Byron Scott puts on the floor this season. It’s still the Western Conference, and Ellington has experienced that for five years during his six in the league.
Let’s begin training camp, for the love of God.