Lawrence Roberts: Rebounding Nicely
When most future NBA players hear their name called during the draft, it triggers a celebration that lasts well into the night.
But Lawrence Roberts? He’s a different story. Let’s just say his party habits seem more J. Crew than J-Lo.
“Through the process I turned my phone off,” he says. “During the draft my parents got together but after I was drafted I went to a park and shot around with little kids and forgot about the draft.”
It’s clear that his subdued celebration is a sign that the Grizzlies don’t need to worry about Roberts bringing much in the way of cockiness to the team. With no ego to speak of, Roberts would rather focus on the reason West traded for him on draft night: rebounding.
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He led the SEC in rebounding last season with 11.0 boards per game, and an average of 10.5 per game throughout his four-year collegiate career at Baylor and Mississippi State. He then showed his dominance in the paint during the Summer Pro League, when he had 17 rebounds (along with 15 points) in his debut against the Lakers, and followed that performance up two games later with an unbelievable 31 points and 13 rebounds against Dallas.
If his early returns are any indication, he’s going to make a lot of teams wish they hadn’t passed on him in the draft. Despite being a four-year senior who averaged a career double-double, Roberts lasted on the draft board until late in the second round when Seattle nabbed him 55th overall, before being acquired by the Grizzlies. He was so highly thought of by the Grizzlies, it took two future second round picks and cash to pry him away from Seattle.
“That’s a lot to give up,” says Roberts. “For that to happen shows that (West) is putting his trust in you, and the only thing I can do it just go out there and work hard and try to fill those shoes.”
“Frankly, it’s hard to believe that Roberts went that far into the draft,” said West on draft night. “He’s a tremendous rebounder and an aggressive rebounder, plus he can do a lot of little things that most people maybe don’t consider, but in basketball we do…We’re excited to have a chance to have him and it’s a shock that he got down this far.”
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“It’s tough for anyone when it’s going on and on and your name still not be called when you expected so much more, but everything happens for a reason,” he says now. “I’ve never been given anything, I’ve always had to work hard and I just see it as a great opportunity for me to come into a great situation.”
Once he gets into the games, Grizzlies fans will discover what Bulldogs fans discovered upon his arrival at Mississippi State: that Roberts is drawn to rebounds the way Ben Affleck is drawn to bad scripts. Using a combination of hustle and anticipation, Roberts can earn his team a lot of second shots and transition baskets.
“Rebounding is a lot of things. Just being aggressive, knowing where the ball’s going to come off, being quick to the ball and just being able to explode quickly to the ball when it comes off the rim,” he says.
If he can parlay his collegiate success into the NBA, a lot of teams will be looking at him wistfully, knowing they made a mistake by passing him up.