Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons Moritz Wagner was a good pick

3. Hustle

If there is one thing Lakers fans love, it’s a player who leaves it all out on the court. Nothing grabs more attention from fans — and the coaching staff, for that matter — like chasing loose balls and diving into the crowd.

The Lakers always seem to have a big man who serves as the emotional leader of the team. Whether it was Ronny Turiaf, Mark Madsen or Kurt Rambis back in the 80s, the Lakers like to equip themselves with hustle players who are in the league simply because of their grit and grind.

Moe Wagner is definitely more skilled than the other players mentioned, but he has the chance to fill the role of the emotional leader as well. Wagner wears his emotions on his sleeve and it translates on the court. His passion for the game is admirable and it’s commonplace to see the big man diving to the floor for loose balls.

Nothing sums up Wagner’s passion for the game quite like this clip from a rivalry game against Ohio State this past February.

Some games his shot might not be falling or he will struggle on the defensive end, but Wagner will always give it his all, night in and night out.