The Lakers surprised everyone by signing Timofey Mozgov to a four-year, $64 million deal. The former Cavs center joins the team after a down year and with injury concerns.
Mozgov’s contract was the subject of many debates but most agreed that it was a poor decision by the Lakers’ front office. Much of that has to do with the length of the deal as Mozgov is already 30 years old.
Regardless of how many feel about the terms of the deal, Mozgov is now the starting center for the Lakers. While his ceiling with the team could be mitigated due to his injury history, Mozgov will have to contribute on the court.
In the newest edition of Laker Film Room, Pete Zayas takes a look at Mozgov’s fit with the Lakers. As Zayas shows, Timo will be able to contribute heavily to the pick-and-roll offense, potentially becoming the best such PNR big man D’Angelo Russell has played with in his short NBA career. Perhaps he can even add his newly showcased three-point game to his offensive repertoire.
Defensively, the big man may struggle due to his lack of lateral quickness. He is a solid but not great rim protector, which may be all the improvement the Lakers can hope for on that end of the floor.
