Lakers News: Rob Pelinka Optimistic Role Player Can Make Immediate Impact This Season

Ricardo Sandoval | Sep 29, 2024

Sep 25, 2024; El Segundo, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka at press conference at UCLA Health Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Lakers are less than a month away from the start of the 2024-25 season. Pre-season is less than a week away, and media day is less than two days away. The Lakers will look for a fresh start. 

Although the team is virtually the same, a new sense of hope and belief exists for an L.A.

A lot of that has to do with their new head coach, JJ Redick. Redick, 40, brings a firey attitude to the team, and one they have been lacking for a while. 

While all eyes will be on Redick and the other team members, a non-star who may be looked at closely by the team and its fans is newly signed center Christian Koloko. 

Koloko recently signed a two-way contract with the Lakers, and he has shown a ton of promise. Although he only played in one NBA season, the 24-year-old has shown some potential. Not only are some Lakers fans high on him, but Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka is as well. 

At the press conference on Wednesday, Pelinka said that he believes in Koloko and what he can bring to the team. 

“In terms of our center depth, I think in addition to Jaxson Hayes, Christian Wood, we do have two guys on two-way that play the center position in Colin Castleton and we signed Christian Koloko. We have optimism,” Pelinka said.

“We did a deep dive with our medical staff, again Dr. Vigil, Dr. Jones, Dr. Sims, and have a lot of optimism and hope he’s still with the panel. And part of that is just logistics that have to happen, but we think that’ll happen sooner than later and whatever the decision of the league is, we’ll respect. But again, we have a lot of optimism and if he’s cleared, 7-foot-5 wingspan, 7-foot-1 [height], I think we saw a lot of promise in him when we scouted him when he was at Arizona, was almost a first round pick. So, to get a player like that that we can bring along and develop and may even impact games this year when he gets cleared is something we’re really excited about.”

Koloko missed all of last season due to a severe blood clot issue. Although he and the Lakers are optimistic that he is healthy enough to play, the official clearance needs to come from the league.

The 24-year-old recently was stopped by TMZ and said he was ready to go.

“I’m just gonna come in ready,” Koloko said, “Be ready to do whatever it takes to have the team win and that’s the goal — win!”

Koloko is a highly anticipated player for the Lakers this upcoming season.

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