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Lakers Bolster Bench: Add Antawn Jamison
Fitzgerald Cecilio
Los Angeles, CA
After solidifying their starting lineup by acquiring Steve Nash, the Los Angeles Lakers have began to address their bench woes with the addition of veteran forward Antawn Jamison.
The Lakers have agreed to terms with free-agent Jamison on a one-year deal, according to multiple reports.
Jamison, 36, a proven scorer in the NBA who is a significant upgrade to a mediocre Lakers bench, will receive the veteran's minimum of $1.4 million for one season. It is a huge drop from the $15.1 million he made last season with the Cavaliers.
Jamison, who has been a reserve just once in his career, during his only season with the Mavericks in 2003-04, would bring a much needed-scoring punch to a Lakers bench that was last in the league, scoring just 30.5 points per game last season.
Though terrible on defense and ineffective in the pick-and-roll- - both of which coach Mike Brown and new point guard Nash love, Jamison's scoring compensates for his shortcomings as it will eventually create more ball movement and more offensive rhythm.
Jamison, who is entering his 16th year in the NBA, has mastered to stay efficient offensively while pursuing the first championship ring in a career largely spent as the best player on bad teams, including the last two years with Cleveland.
The 6'9" Jamison, who can play both forward positions, has career averages of 19.5 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game, but it dropped to 17.2 points per game last year and 6.3 rebounds, one of his more unproductive seasons.
The Lakers will be the fifth NBA team for Jamison, who was selected in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors, who then dealt his rights to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for former North Carolina teammate and best friend Vince Carter.
It will also mark as a reunion with coach Brown, who was in charge of the Cavs when Jamison landed in Cleveland during the 2009-10 campaign.
Jamison was also a Nash teammate in 2004 in Dallas, ensuring that it will be an easy fitting in with the Lakers.
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