Syracuse Basketball Alumni: Tyler Ennis Scores 19, Lakers Beat Spurs
Tyler Ennis, a Syracuse alum, has been filling in nicely in as a starter for the Lakers. Inside the Loud House looks at his most recent performance.
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Tyler Ennis was given the opportunity to start for the Los Angeles Lakers last night and did not disappoint. Thanks to an injury to sophomore sensation D’Angelo Russell, Tyler Ennis was finally given his chance to play. He got valuable minutes and thus flourished against a scary Spurs team.
Before we take a look at one of the most efficient performances from a Laker this season, let’s take a look at how little of an opportunity the former SU guard has been given this season.
NBA Career So Far:
After two mediocre seasons in Milwaukee, Tyler Ennis found himself on the Houston Rockets. The Rockets might just have the most talent at the guard position in the entire NBA. Sitting behind James Harden, Eric Gordon, and Patrick Beverley, Ennis was playing just 6.3 minutes per game. In addition, he paired that with unimpressive averages: 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Ennis, who was still trying to prove that he is more than just a garbage time player, went to the Los Angeles Lakers. That happened after the Rockets declined his team option for the 2017-2018 season. Unfortunately, he joined a guard heavy Lakers team that boasts D’Angelo Russell, Nick Young, and Jordan Clarkson.
However, this team is out of the playoff mix, unlike the Rockets. I believe that Ennis’ will get paid this summer, especially if he can replicate last night’s performance in Los Angeles’ last four games of the season.
You would think that Ennis would only be played in the late stages of games. Luckily, he recently he has been given a chance to play heavy minutes. His position is largely thanks to an injury to D’Angelo Russell, and Ennis showed the league why he belongs in it. Last night was a good showing of that when he and the Lakers absolutely dominated against a tough Spurs defense.
Lakers Beat Spurs Behind Ennis:
Tyler Ennis played 39 minutes, ten more than the next Laker, David Nwaba. Ennis scored a team-high 19 points, dished out 6 assists, had 2 steals. In addition, he shot an efficient 8 for 14 from the floor, and turned the ball over just once.
The Lakers played without Timofey Mozgov, Luol Deng, Nick Young, and D’Angelo Russell. Those four players were the centerpiece’s of LA at the beginning of the year. Tyler Ennis did the unimaginable last night, leading the 23-55 LA Lakers to a win over the 60-18 Spurs, according to ESPN.com
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There is no doubt in my mind that LA would not have pulled this off had Russell played instead of Ennis. I know that last night’s performance will help Ennis become more relevant in the basketball world, just like he was when he laced them up for the Syracuse Orange.
