1617 exit interviews

Joey Ramirez

D'Angelo Russell wrapped up his second season in the NBA with the most dramatic moment of the year. Hours after learning of the unexpected passing of his grandmother, Russell hit the game-winning shot against Minnesota before missing the year's final two games to be with his family in Louisville.

Russell found his rhythm post-All-Star break, averaging 18.5 points on 42.5 percent shooting while mainly playing at shooting guard. This strong finish also included a career-best, 40-point display against the defending-champion Cleveland Cavaliers.

Below is a summary of his exit interview:

- The biggest area of concern for Russell is consistency. He said that leadership has always been something that comes naturally for him, but that he “wasn’t consistent enough” with his play to seize that role.

- Russell felt that he improved the most this season with his playmaking ability. He thinks that he can get off the shot he wants at almost any time, but that he made strides in setting the table for others.

- However, Russell wasn’t satisfied by the results of the season. In his exit interview with the Lakers’ front office, he was told to work on his leadership, consistency and building his body.

- It has been an emotional 10 days for Russell, who said that “losing someone that was really close was hard,” but also that “it’s about how you respond.” He said that he played in the Minnesota game since it would always be a game he remembered regardless of the outcome.

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2017 Exit Interviews: D'Angelo Russell

The Lakers’ 2016-17 season is officially in the past now that the team has wrapped up its annual exit interviews.

The purple and gold’s day was highlighted by plenty of news, including about the future of the franchise and the departure of a longtime fan favorite.

“The Current is Shifting”
Rob Pelinka gave off a confident vibe as he prepares for his first offseason as general manager of the Lakers.

The success of the first major step won’t be up to Pelinka or his partner, President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson, as the Lakers will have to wait till the draft lottery on May 16 until they know if they keep their first-round draft pick, which is top-three protected.

However, they can control what happens after that night, and Pelinka said that the Lakers have plans set for both scenarios.

Pelinka is also certain that the “current is shifting” for the Lakers in terms of free agents. He was unsure of when a marquee star will choose to come to L.A., but he said that he sees more interest in the Lakers’ situation.

For the organization as a whole, Pelinka plans to hold players and staff to a higher standard, saying that “the Lakers stand for excellence,” and that he has already seen that desire to be great from a handful of the young players.

Thanks for World Peace
The day began with some major news, as Metta World Peace was the first one to have his exit interview. He quickly relayed the news that Johnson had told him he probably wouldn’t be retained for next season.

World Peace, who was a longshot to make the team these past two years, said that he was happy with his career with the Lakers, particularly his relationship with the fans, saying, “Obviously they love their Lakers, and I had the chance to experience that. It was great.”

Mentor Mamba
Brandon Ingram could soon have a franchise legend as a mentor, as Pelinka and Johnson suggested that he reach out to Kobe Bryant to schedule some offseason workouts.

Bryant — who scored 60 points in his final game exactly one year before exit interviews — reached out to Ingram over text earlier in the season. Ingram was so surprised that he initially didn’t think that it was Bryant himself.

Pelinka, who was Bryant’s former agent, also said that the 18-time All-Star would be open to working with the Lakers’ other young players.

Summer of Swag
Nick Young began his interview in his own Swaggy way, joking that the Lakers had signed him to a $150 million, lifetime deal.

In reality, Young does have a decision to make, as he can opt out of his contract due to a player option. The 31-year-old would not say which way he was leaning. He did admit to wanting to compete on a playoff team, but also claimed that it would be tough for him to leave his native Los Angeles.

Central Question
No spot in the starting lineup will be guaranteed for next year, according to head coach Luke Walton. There will certainly be competition for the center spot, as Timofey Mozgov and Ivica Zubac both expressed their desire to start.

However, both are more concerned with the overall success of the team, as Zubac said, “Whoever can help the team win is going to be the guy who’s going to start.”

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Lakers Wrap Season with Exit Interviews

Mike Trudell

David Nwaba pulled off what so many basketball players dream of but so few see happen, going from an undrafted free agent (out of Cal Poly) to a D-League tryout who had to pay to get into to making the D-Fenders, and ultimately playing so well that he got called up by the Lakers and offered a multi-year contract.

Nwaba makes his money on the defensive end, and he held up well there in his 20 games in the big league, showing an ability to guard ones, twos and threes, and play on the weak side as well. Nwaba averaged 6.0 points on 58 percent FG’s (20 percent from 3) with 3.2 boards, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks in 19.9 minutes.

-      Nwaba said his meeting was “good,” that they said “good things about what I bring to the team.” He needs to develop his shooting and his ball handling, but already love his defense and attitude.

-      On his last year: “Initially, being in the D-League, my plan was first to just make the Summer League roster. I didn’t know how likely it would be to get called up. I’d say I’m ahead of schedule. I’m just happy they gave me the opportunity. Now I know what I need to do in order to play with the best of them. I’m excited about the offseason and ready to put in a lot of work.”

-      He said his focus for next year is first to “just make the team,” and then “be more confident on the floor.”

-      Nwaba said small forwards are easiest to guard because of his quickness to stay in front, but he also likes using his size against point guards.

-      Did he notice a big jump from D-League in how he can guard guys? “I can definitely guard these guys. At first I gave them too much respect. I realized later on that it’s just basketball. The game is a little faster but it’s nothing I can’t keep up with.”

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2017 Exit Interviews: David Nwaba

Just over a month into his new job, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka joined assembled media members for a review of the season amidst his exit interviews with each player on the roster.

Below is a summary of the press conference:

-      Pelinka said the Lakers are prepared to move forward whether they keep the top-three protected lottery pick or not. Clearly, they’d love to have the asset, but said they would “find a way," and they “have a plan to get where they want to” regardless. Where they want to go, of course, is towards a championship.

-      It’s Pelinka’s mandate that, if guys aren’t committed to excellent, “they won’t be here.” He said that message extends to himself and his staff. “The Lakers stand for excellence.”

-      He added that there has to be a “desire from within” for these players, the young guys specifically, to keep getting better. Pelinka has already seen that energy and desire from several young players. He cited D’Angelo Russell’s stated desire to improve defensively, Julius Randle’s desire to turn his body into even more of a weapon, and Brandon Ingram’s demand of himself to grow physically and with his skills.

-      Pelinka said they made it clear to Metta World Peace that he’d “always be welcome here,” that he’s “always going to be a big part of the Lakers.” In short, MWP shared that he’d still like to play, and the Lakers wanted to be honest that it was unlikely he’d return to the active roster next year. However, when he’s done playing, they’d love to have him in some capacity, whether in player development or as a coach.

-      Pelinka has been looking at the entire front office and figuring out what roles to add people into. He gave one example with a “Wellness Coordinator,” who will be charged with overseeing the player’s sleep habits, nutrition and general health. He, Magic and Walton will continue that process as they fill out the entire staff.

-      Pelinka, who was of course Kobe Bryant’s agent for many years, said Kobe’s been open to working with several young players, not just Ingram, who was specifically mentioned by Walton. Kobe was always trying to pick the brains of the best players as he came up in the league, and wants to be a resource for the young Lakers.

-      Pelinka’s convinced that star free agents will absolutely want to play for the Lakers, that “you can feel the current shifting our way again.” He doesn’t know when and who, but thinks multiple star players will want to join what they’re building.

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2017 Exit Interviews: Rob Pelinka

At 19 years old and living in the United States for the first time, Ivica Zubac surprised nearly everyone with how effective his play was. He ranked second among all rookies in field goal percentage (52.9) and started at center for his final 10 games before missing the last two weeks of the season with a high-ankle sprain. Zubac was solid when he was among the starting five, averaging 10.6 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Below is a summary of his exit interview with assembled media on Thursday:

- After missing the final seven games of the season, Zubac says his ankle feels much better and that he plans to begin running at the end of the week. He says that if the season were still ongoing, he would be playing.

- Zubac plans to spend the majority of his summer here in Los Angeles. He will also suit up for the Lakers’ Summer League team.

- The 19-year-old came to the Lakers with plenty of confidence, but also showed gratitude for Luke Walton and his staff giving him a chance to play as a rookie: “I earned my opportunity, but they were the ones who believed in me and gave me a chance.”

- Zubac wants the starting center spot next season, but does not expect it to simply be handed to him. In regard to Timofey Mozgov, he said, “Whoever can help the team win is going to be the guy who’s going to start.”

- Zubac said that Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka relayed that the Lakers “can’t have any more seasons like this” in his exit interview. He said the goal for next year is to make the playoffs.

- L.A. has been a whole new world for Zubac, who is still getting used to being recognized at restaurants and stuck on the freeways. “We don’t have that kind of traffic in Croatia.”

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2017 Exit Interviews: Ivica Zubac

Larry Nance, Jr. had a solid sophomore season, one in which he expanded his game while still having plenty of contributions to the highlight reel.

In 63 games (seven starts), the second-year forward averaged 7.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals, improving in virtually every statistical category from his rookie year.

Nance, Jr. saw a slight uptick in minutes (22.9 from 20.1) and his efficiency trended upwards, shooting 52.6 percent from the field and 27.8 on three-pointers, a new addition to his arsenal. After just converting once from beyond the arc in 2015-16, Nance, Jr. hit 10-of-36 in 2016-17, including makes in four of his last six games.

The Wyoming grad toggled between both forward spots and even played some center in April, where he logged three double-doubles and averaged 10.3 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

-On his conversation with Rob Pelinka and Magic Johnson: “The words Rob used are ‘pursuit of excellence’. If you’re not all in, this might not be the place for you. I’m super excited because I know I can’t wait to work”.

-On his own development: “I thought I grew a lot in a lot of different aspects, but there’s still worlds of room for improvement”.

-On individual goals for next season: “Specifically for me, we talked a lot about off ball defense. That was an area of strength for me, but where I want to get better is on-ball defense, watching tape of Draymond (Green), Kawhi (Leonard). I want to be in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation”.

-On the future of the franchise given the amount of talent on hand: “I think the sky’s the limit. You look at what we have; we have every position and then some. It’s very promising”.

-Nance, Jr. described B.I. as a “terror”, and said Ivica Zubac is going to be the next Marc Gasol.

-On ending the season on a high note: “I feel really good about the season because we showed what we’ll become”.

-He said that Metta World Peace still has a lot of basketball in him, but that if he hangs it up, he’d love to have him around: “If he decides to call it quits, I hope he ends up here in some capacity”.

-On the level of comfort with his shot: “I’m glad they told us to let them fly. We were shooting them till we were blue in the face. Reps, reps, reps. Getting the opportunity to shoot some, and feeling confident, did a lot for me. It’s absolutely something…I’m going to crush it. Going to put a lot of hours into it”.

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2017 Exit Interviews: Larry Nance, Jr.

Brandon Ingram had an impressive conclusion to a rookie year that showed off all of the potential the Lakers so looked forward to seeing come out when they took him with the No. 2 overall pick in June.

He made a significant and obvious leap after the All-Star break, his increased aggression and confidence helping him average 13.2 points, 3.9 boards, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks on 47.5 percent shooting in 32.1 minutes per game.

Prior to the break, he scored 8.0 points per game on 36.3 percent from the field, before really starting to assert himself as the starting small forward. He grew stronger on both ends of the floor, showcasing a versatile game that put him in every position but center, including backup point guard and even power forward in certain matchups.

-      When asked what he learned being matched up against the best wing players in the league – LeBron, Durant, Kawhi, George, etc. – Ingram said: “Their mind set. They’re going to attack you every chance they get.” Ingram may have been affording opponents “too much respect” early in the season, but soon enough realized that he could play with those players, and started to attack much more directly. His play reflected that increased aggression directly.

-      Ingram noted that the biggest difference between college and NBA hoops was “smarter basketball” in the pros, in addition to the faster pace caused in part by the 24-second shot clock, plus the better athletes.

-      Ingram implied Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson and Luke Walton were thrilled with his work rate throughout the season. He put the time in, and they were watching.

-      Ingram shared that Magic and Pelinka suggested he work with Kobe Bryant in the offseason. Bryant had actually reached out to Ingram earlier this year over text, and Ingram didn’t even believe it was him. He assumed it couldn’t have been THAT Kobe that texted him. But when told that it was indeed Bryant, Ingram was excited, and texted him back. Looks like they’ll be doing some work together this summer…

-      Ingram loved playing for Luke Walton, a consistent theme in exit interviews. “He’s the ultimate player’s coach. He lets you play loose. He has the utmost confidence in you. He challenges you.”

-      Ingram played PG, SG, SF and PF this season. He was asked where he thinks he can make the biggest impact, and while that may be on the wing as  a two-way player, said that he envisioned playing multiple roles moving forward. He doesn’t want to put a limit on it.

-      Ingram may have actually grown a bit from his 6’9’’ listing last summer, but he hasn’t gotten officially measured.

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2017 Exit Interviews: Brandon Ingram

In his first season as head coach of the Lakers, Luke Walton guided the purple and gold to a 26-56 record — marking a nine-win improvement from last season. In particular, the Lakers were strong at the bookend points of the season, winning half of their first 20 games and five of their last six.

- Walton expressed confidence in the job being done by President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and General Manager Rob Pelinka. While he expects them to continue trying to improve the roster in the short term, he also said, “I think they both believe in the young core that we have.”

-Almost each Laker expressed in his exit interview how much they like playing for Walton. But the head coach was simply happy that it means the culture is building and that they “enjoy coming to work and getting better.”

- The decision to tell Metta World Peace that he will likely not be retained for next season was a tough one for Walton, who called him “more than just a player I’ve coached. He’s a friend and an old teammate that I won a championship with.”

- Walton thinks that Brandon Ingram is “much better” than he was back in his playing days. As such, he wants him to work with Kobe Bryant over the offseason. “He can learn a lot from someone like Kobe who’s been through it and had a lot of skill at a lot higher level than me or anyone on my staff.”