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LOS ANGELES – While the Los Angeles Lakers are still juggling their rotation in the midst of preseason and training camp, one player who has locked down his spot is sixth-year forward Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Georgian native shined bright during the team’s preseason victory against the Sacramento Kings this past Thursday, showing his versatility and strong fit alongside the Lakers’ plethora of ball-handlers.
Mamukelashvili finished with 19 points off the bench to go along with three rebounds, four assists, one steal and one blocked shot. He shot 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range. One of the main things he’s looking forward to is the amount of open shots he’ll receive with playing with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“Yeah, there’s plenty of them. I think there will be even more. When Luka has the ball, you see everybody on their toes defensively. Everybody wants to make sure he gets off it, but he’s such a good ball-handler, he controls the game,” Mamukelashvili said during his postgame press conference after the Kings win. “He’s got his own pace so it just kind of makes it so much easier for shooters. All you have to do is stay there and he’s gonna find you.
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“Same goes with Austin. And one thing I got to say, I think everybody’s been moving the ball amazingly. Extra passes with drive and kicks. I feel like nobody tries to hold it for too long. So it’s just been fun playing.”
The Lakers signed Sandro Mamukelashvili to a four-year contract in the offseason, and he appears to have solidified himself as the team’s primary backup big man. He can play both power forward and center, he can handle the ball at times and make decision, he can shoot consistently from 3-point range, he’s a connector that can be plugged in and played with multiple lineups.
Back when the Lakers initially signed him, head coach JJ Redick recalls him asking how he best fits within the team’s system. Redick told him he envisions him as a basketball player who can fit in anywhere. And through the first few preseason games, he’s enjoyed drawing up plays that take advantage of Mamukelashvili’s skill set.
“He’s a good passer. Part of it for him is the threat of his shot. So if he has the initial action with the ball, then what comes after that when he doesn’t have the ball, he’s able to sort of get that space and then create an advantage because of the threat of his shot,” Redick said following Lakers’ practice on Oct. 10. “I’m gonna have some fun running plays and ATOs for him. We’ll have a little ‘Mamu’ package … We’ll get creative with him. It’ll be fun.”
Mamukelashvili is coming off a career year with the Toronto Raptors in which he received votes for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. He appeared in a career-best 80 games, including 13 starts, at a little over 21 minutes per game.
The former Seton Hall standout averaged a career-high 11.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists with splits of 52.3 percent shooting from the field, 38.9 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 74.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line. His field goal and 3-point efficiency were both career highs.
For Doncic, who is used to be being the primary ball-handler and playmaker, Mamukelashvili gives him someone who can take some of the pressure off of him at times in that regard.
“I knew what kind of player he was, obviously I played against him,” Doncic said following Lakers’ practice on Oct. 10. “I think just his ability to handle the ball, and just see the court. Some of his passes I think are very underrated, so I think that’s the thing that’s most impressed me.”
But while the 27-year-old can handle the ball and make decisions, he’s still looking forward to the open shots he’s going to receive alongside Doncic and Reaves.
“They have so much gravity … I just imagine myself being open and making sure I knock down my 3s or get the ball and push. A lot of times Luka and Austin are denied,” Mamukelashvili said. “And also just making sure I’m the connector … make the right reads … and just kind of compliment them as much as possible.”
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