Posted at 1:46 a.m., Sunday, October 21, 2007
NBA: Lakers trying to figure out backcourt minutes
By Kevin Ding
The Orange County Register
The Lakers' first-round pick before them? Sasha Vujacic. He's still around, and he's determined to make an impact this season.
"It's my fourth year. Now it's time," Vujacic said. "I'm probably one of the people who didn't have that breakthrough year yet, and I'm very looking forward to it."
Lakers coach Phil Jackson is still evaluating how to dole out the guard minutes behind Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher, looking primarily at Vujacic, Farmar and Maurice Evans. With Jackson likely to limit the 33-year-old Fisher's minutes, there should be abundant opportunity.
Vujacic thinks he will surprise some people in seizing that opportunity. He declined an invitation from the Slovenian national team to train twice a day on his own — focusing on aspects of the game that Jackson and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak criticized in Vujacic's season-ending meeting with them. Vujacic said he emerged from the summer with a 13-pound weight gain and with "my confidence back."
"He's played exceptionally well all the way through," Jackson said. "I really would have a hard time ranking them as far as guards go. They're all playing real good basketball. The thing about Sasha, he can play both (guard) positions."
Vujacic started the second half of the Lakers' 113-93 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center on Saturday night. The group of Vujacic, Bryant, Kwame Brown, Ronny Turiaf and Luke Walton led the Lakers to a 14-point third-quarter advantage.
Vujacic had nine points in 10:32 of play, hitting all three shots he took, and was active all over the floor. Most notably, one of Vujacic's baskets came on an aggressive inside move and another came on a mid-range jumper.
Unlike the departed Smush Parker, who ignored the Lakers' requests to address his deficiencies (mid-range shooting, team defense, leadership), Vujacic listened closely to advice about getting stronger, being able to take the ball to the basket and playing with poise.
Jackson said Saturday night that Vujacic, 23, has "matured." Bryant also has noticed Vujacic calming down.
"Sasha last year made every shot in practice — and couldn't make one in a game," Bryant said. "Now he's starting to put both of `em together, so it's cool."
