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Los Angeles Lakers Release Robert Upshaw, Twitter Gets Confused

By Michael Dunlap

Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) reacts after a call during an NBA Summer League game against Minnesota at Thomas & Mack Center. Minnesota won the game 81-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) reacts after a call during an NBA Summer League game against Minnesota at Thomas & Mack Center. Minnesota won the game 81-68. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Lakers released Robert Upshaw, triggering mass confusion on Twitter

Robert Upshaw was an underdog from the beginning, as the Los Angeles Lakers took a shot by inviting the undrafted rookie out of Washington to training camp. That dream has ended, as the Lakers announced via press release that he’s been waived. Let’s just say Twitter didn’t agree with the move.

If that doesn’t sum up how fans on Twitter feel right now, I don’t know what will. Upshaw wasn’t an enormous difference maker in the preseason, as he scored 2.5 points with three rebounds and .75 blocks per game (14.1 minutes). However, it’s his notable upside and the fact that the Lakers decided to hold onto Robert Sacre that have most of the fans up in arms.

We’ll have to ignore the fact that Sacre’s contract was guaranteed back in July and it’s not like he’s horrible — he averaged 9.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. This is Twitter — we can’t let facts get in the way of a good story.

Apparently most of these fans who are blasting the Lakers front office have blocked this from their minds:

Yes, that’s Anthony Bennett, former No. 1 pick and current contender to the throne of “biggest bust ever” laying the hammer down on Upshaw.

Luckily, not all fans have lost their minds.

Upshaw is a promising young player who will likely find a home somewhere, but his performance against Karl-Anthony Towns — the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft — was definitely more of a mirage than a sign of things to come.

It was an impressive performance for sure, but the Lakers braintrust just didn’t see enough in the preseason to give Upshaw an opportunity. He opened the preseason by playing 25 minutes, scoring six points with three rebounds and two blocks, but he was a minus-8 on the floor. Coach Byron Scott obviously didn’t take a lot of positives out of that performance, as he’d play just 29 minutes in the next three games combined.

Speaking of fans losing their minds, we’ll leave you with this:

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Los Angeles Lakers

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