Did the Lakers finally find their modern big in Sandro Mamukelashvili?

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every weekday breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we look at Sandro Mamukelashvili.

Sandro Mamukelashvili wasn’t on Lakers fans’ radar. That’s why when the Georgian big man joined the purple and gold, it was considered the team’s most out-of-the-box signing of the summer.

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With Mamu in the mix, the Lakers now have a different type of offensive weapon than they’ve had in the past. Not only did they acquire a big man that truly fits with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, but one who can also space the floor and allow LA to play a two-big lineup. The 27-year-old lefty adds more firepower to an already potent offense.

The 6’9″ big is also coming off his best season yet in his career, where he received votes for Sixth Man of the Year. Mamu averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and shot 38.9% from 3-point range for the Raptors. He played in 80 games and started in 13 of those. It was a season that the incoming six-year forward can build on.

Given that Mamu signed a four-year, $52 million contract, the expectation for him to deliver will be considerably higher. The Lakers’ relatively thin frontcourt also puts added importance on his role.

What is his best-case scenario?

The best case for Mamu is that he becomes a dependable, key rotation player throughout the season, like LaMar Odom during the Lakers’ title runs. Obviously, Mamu is a significantly different player compared to Odom but it would be great if he can have a similar impact off the bench.

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Mamu has to thrive in spacing out the Lakers’ offense, which means his shooting numbers have to remain consistent. If he can maintain his shooting percentage from last year, then that will do wonders for a team that runs a heavy pick-and-roll offense. Additionally, him continuing to finish 71% of his shots in the restricted area will be the icing on the cake.

Those numbers matter because that’s the type of production the Lakers need. He has to shoot well for the two-big lineups to be…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/did-lakers-finally-modern-big-152400632.html

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Publish date : 2026-09-18 15:24:00

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