Diandra Auton For the past two years, I have been leaving for National searchlight in a team, which was closer to receiving the first in common choice than in the first round of the play -off. On Monday, the 7-foot center stood in front of the flashing lights, answered questions at a packaged press conference and looked at the brilliant line of 17 trophies of the championship.
Auton, whose inconsistent career reached a new minimum in Portland, where he was bought from his contract and criticized for poor labor ethics, smiled at what he called the “largest stage.” Former common choice No. 1 is ready to start your revenge with LakersField
“I can say that this is the biggest opportunity in my career,” Auton said on Monday in Lakers Media DayThe field “Some people say that this is my last leg, some people say that this is my last chance. Well, this is an opportunity, I can say that I'm really not going to take it for granted. ”
Marcus Smart He knows the feeling. The defender of the year in 2022 redeems a contract in Washington. After nine years and three teams with a high degree of protection against Boston Celtics, Smart played in only 54 games in two years received in Memphis and Washington. The 31-year-old admits that some may have forgotten the “Marcus Smart” “Celtics” -Groka, who guarded all five positions, shot down a timely three and brought an infectious, given tone.
Lakers are still remembered.
“I know what he brings to the game”, LeBron James said. “I know that the team is the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, when it comes to Marcus Smart.”
Despite his resume and standing in the league, the smart does not expect an automatic entrance to the starting lineup of Lakers.
“If I start or get off the bench,” said Smart, “my presence will be done.”
On Monday, security Lakers Marcus Smart takes part in the Media Day at the UCLA Medical Center.
(Robert Gauthier / Los -Angeles Times)
Smart defensive skill can become a significant incentive for the starting group, which is considered by James, Luke Donchich And Austin ReevesField Rui KhachimuraWhich began in 57 of his 59 performances in the regular season last season, is located in the last year of his contract after applying an average of 13.1 points and five rebounds for the game last season.
Faced with the opportunity to leave the bench on the eve of the contract year, Khachimur said that he would abandon the coaches to decide what is better. Trainer JJ Redick He said that the team has seven or eight starting calibers, and the starting lineup does not weigh much to his opinion, entering his second season at the helm.
But Aiton's starting position feels fortified.
The center was the most significant supplement of the Lakers in the offseason after trading by blockbusters, which brought the Donchik to Los -Angeles, also leaving the team without a starting center. Jaxon HayesAccording to James, who was drawn into the starting role as necessary, but fell out of rotation during the playoffs, will become a valuable blow with Aiton in the center. Forward Maxim gluewho played only five minutes after joining the team during trade in the middle of the season with Dallas, said that he was completely healthy after a long injury to his legs.
Cleber, 33 years old, knows her own eyes, the influence that Donchich can have on his career after the player. Cleber played with the Donchik, as the Slovenian superstar was compiled in 2018 and admired the ability of Donchich to take light pictures for his teammates. The chances of the forehead will begin to fall from the sky, as never before for Aiton.
Practicing together in the offseason, Kleber thanked Aton for becoming stronger and added his physical presence in court. Redik challenged the entire list to arrive in the “form of the championship.”
Aiton did not need additional motivation.
“You guys, the evil Auton,” said the 27-year-old football player, “now they did not respond to most of my career and simply doubted. And I'm here, where everything [that is] Behind me, and I can add all this fuel to victory and play with Luke. ”
Donchich, from his own atonement after last year’s trade and talk about his scales and labor ethics, sought to start his first training camp with Lakers. Leaving the quarterfinals in Eurobasket with the Sloven national team, Donchich said that he felt stronger and faster on the court after his physical transformation in the off -season. Donchich, one of the Pick-And-Roll Savants, should help Aiton reopen the dominance that he broke out, helping the Phoenix of the Sun to reach the NBA final in 2021 and release 64 franchise victories in 2022.
Finally, the focus of NBA with the new team, Auton enjoys the opportunity to pursue more significant records.
“You can feel pressure through the door,” Auton said. “This team wants to win the championship.”
