Antawn Jamison getting comfortable with Lakers
Antawn Jamison led the Lakers in scoring on Friday night with a 33-point, 12-rebound performance in a 122-103 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Jamison initially struggled to contribute, but recently he has become a consistent force off the bench. The veteran forward credits Coach Mike D’Antoni and his fellow Lakers for helping him find his way.
“D’Antoni is doing a great job as far as just telling me, ‘be aggressive,’†Jamison said. “He’s given me that kind of confidence, and my teammates have been doing a great job as far as telling me to keep my head and go out there and compete.â€
Nuggets Coach George Karl sees Jamison as an important piece for the Lakers moving forward.
“I think Jamison is going to play a lot of minutes for them. I think the way Mike likes to play, he needs a shooting forward out there and I think Jamison has done that for many years,†Karl said. “He knows how to get open and when he is making shots he is tough to cover.â€
When the Lakers have other players contribute, outside of their stars, they can be very difficult to beat.
Jamison isn’t going to score 33 a night but if he can provide a reliable 15- to 20 points, the Lakers (8-8) should be able to climb well above .500.
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Mike D’Antoni counting on Lakers defense until Steve Nash returns
You can email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
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