South Carolina Basketball: Los Angeles Lakers get massive steal in P.J. Dozier
By Taylor Sturm
Former South Carolina Gamecocks’ guard P.J. Dozier will play in the Summer League with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Many questioned why P.J. Dozier would make the decision to leave the South Carolina Gamecocks to head off to the NBA, and they seem to have been right, as the sophomore went undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft.
The good news for the 6’6, 205-pound guard out of Columbia, South Carolina, however, is that he was picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers as an undrafted free agent.
Averaging 13.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 steals over 29 minutes per game last season, Dozier showed that he is a versatile player with NBA size, skill, and – oh yeah – he’s just 20.
He’ll play in the Summer League for L.A. and should make an immediate splash, as he is no longer playing second-fiddle to South Carolina star Sindarius Thornwell.
If you remember a few seasons ago, the Lakers struck gold with a pair of two Missouri Tigers’ guards in Jordan Clarkson, who currently starts, and Jabari Brown, who is currently in the D-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors. Brown, who was the undrafted of the two, played key minutes for the Lakers during his time on the roster.
In this same vein, Dozier will come to the Lakers and see some solid playing time off the bench while alternating between the NBA and the D-League.
The difference between the pair, however, is that Dozier has a much higher upside.
The Lakers’ plan seems to bring in young guys, play their young guys, and clear enough cap space to get one or two older, go-to guys in the future. While rumors have been going around for a long time that Klay Thompson will eventually be a Laker (I don’t see it happening but oh well), it seems much more likely that the team is positioning itself to bring in someone like Paul George who, if remaining untraded, will be a free agent relatively soon.
The trade of a talented but all too extra-talent like D’Angelo Russell to get rid of Timofey Mozgov’s salary points to this, but it is still imperative that the Lakers build with the assumption that Lonzo Ball, Julius Randle, Brandon Ingram, Clarkson, and Ivica Zubac are the future while everyone else is just an added bonus for now.
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While the Lakers had a solid draft and are fielding what should be a slightly improved young team, do not be surprised when Dozier makes the roster to start the season and finds himself with a little bit of playing time.