One of the Los Angeles Lakers best players this season was guard Lou Williams. Traded before this years deadline, Williams landed in Houston. In return, the Lakers received a first-round pick and a talented young guard from Syracuse. Tyler Ennis is a point guard who averaged just 6.3 minutes per game while playing for the Rockets. Since the trade, Ennis has become a regular feature in the Lakers rotation. Luke Walton has the Canadian guard playing some great basketball, something Lakers fans haven’t seen much of this season. Ennis is a free agent this off-season, so here’s why the Lakers need to give the promising guard more time.
Tyler Ennis Deserves More Time with the Lakers
Post trade numbers
Ennis, 22, has gone from six minutes per game in Houston, to a much improved 16.3 in Los Angeles. Playing the backup point guard role, Ennis has averaged 7.6 points and 2.2 assists through 20 games. In head coach Walton’s system, Ennis has become a legitimate backup option. Unfortunately for Ennis he was a non-factor in Houston. With tons of quality players on Mike D’Antoni’s roster, Ennis was surplus to requirements. Houston let Ennis slip through their fingers, something the Lakers shouldn’t let happen.
What Ennis does well
Known for being a “pass first” point guard, Ennis adds something the Lakers don’t have. Fellow guards D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson often look to score. Where as Ennis looks to get others involved. Now Ennis is not of starting quality yet, but if retained the Lakers can develop a very promising talent. Seeing as the team isn’t winning anytime soon, Walton and Rob Pelinka would do well to keep Ennis around.
One aspect of Ennis’s game that has rapidly improved of late, is his three ball. In Houston, Ennis was shooting 37.5% from beyond the arc. With increased playing time, Ennis is currently shooting an improved 42.2%. Hockey great Wayne Gretzky once said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”. More opportunities have led to Ennis coming out of his shell and performing at a much improved level.
The San Antonio and Minnesota games
In games against the Spurs and Timberwolves, Ennis looked great. Scoring 19 points in one and 20 in the other, Ennis was the Lakers leading scorer in both games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UUvAz43Cjs
Ennis would have a career high in points against San Antonio. Then just two games later, Ennis would surpass his career high once again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLq8TO0533E
The Lakers should re-sign Ennis
A journeyman. That is what Ennis’s career has been so far. Playing for Phoenix, Milwaukee and Houston before landing in Los Angeles, Ennis needs to find stability. Stability is key to Ennis fulfilling his potential and the Lakers can give him that. Some have suggested the Lakers need to sign a backup point guard in free agency. The names Patty Mills and Shaun Livingston have been mentioned. However, if that much needed player is already on the roster, Pelinka might not need to look too far. Given time, Ennis can be a success on a team that desperately needs to find good role players.
