The Lakers Just Got The Steal Of The NBA Draft
After the NBA Draft concluded on Thursday, the league’s teams scrambled into the undrafted free agent pool to pick up some roster fillers and summer league players. The Lakers got a dawg, and we aren’t talking about Bronny James. However, he could be good in his own right.
The Lakers signed Blake Hinson to a two-way contract after the draft, and his play style fits what the Lakers will want to do. He’s been dominating the ACC with Pitt for the last two seasons, and now will fight for a roster spot to be Lebron James’ next corner sitter.
Lakers Gathering Shooters
The Lakers appear to be looking for shooters and they got them. Dalton Knecht and Bronny James both have a chance to be high-level shooters for this JJ Redick-led Lakers squad, but Blake Hinson might be the perfect fit. Not only can Hinson take and make his shots, but he can create them for himself too.
Last season with the Pitt Panthers, Hinson was able to lead the ACC in three-point percentage while being second in the conference in three-point attempts. The season before that, in his first season at Pitt, Hinson did much of the same, finishing fourth in three-point percentage and second in attempts. He’s not afraid to let it fly, and for good reason.
Will Hinson Even Have A Role?
While you can never know what the role of an undrafted free agent is, Hinson has a real chance to be Lebron’s new J.R. Smith. The kid from Florida posted double figures 54 times in his collegiate career and made three plus three-pointers 29 times. Hinson was able to go over 20 points 11 times and put up six career double-doubles.
At six foot seven, it’s tough to imagine Hinson as much of a rebounder in the NBA, but in college, he was much more effective on the defensive glass than the offensive. In Hinson’s first season at Pitt, he was awarded the Riley Wallace Award, given to the nation’s top impact transfer.
Hinson was a huge part of Pittsburgh’s trip to the tournament the last two seasons. Last season, Hinson averaged 18.5 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game. He finished the season fifth in the ACC in points, third in points per game, and ninth in defensive rebounds on his way to First Team All-ACC.
The season before that, when Hinson helped lead Pitt to the tourney, Hinson was only able to make Second Team All ACC, but still was eighth in the conference in points, 15th in points per game, and 12th in rebounds per game.
Life Before Pitt
Before he transferred to Pitt, Hinson spent his first two collegiate seasons at Ole Miss before transferring to Iowa State where he redshirted both seasons before coming to Pitt. In his first season at Ole Miss, Hinson was only able to average 8.3 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, and 1.1 assists per game. Those numbers shot up in year two to 10.1 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and the same in the assists categories at 1.1.
Hinson has a long road to go to become a constant for the Lakers, but until then, he and Bronny James might make for a sweet combination for the South Bay Lakers this season, although Lebron might see to it that Bronny makes the NBA squad.
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