Acquired at the trade deadline in a deal with Houston, Tyler Ennis found his groove late with the Lakers.
After being held to single-digit scoring in 44 straight games dating back to his Rockets tenure, Ennis hit double figures in seven of his last 10 appearances, including a career-best 20-point night against Minnesota on April 9.
Below is a summary of his exit interview with assembled media on Thursday:
- Ennis was appreciative of the chance to play after riding the bench with Houston, saying, “This is probably one of the best spots I could have ended up.”
- The Syracuse product wanted to prove that he could defend at the NBA level after his college career at Syracuse, where the team plays zone. Luke Walton was complimentary of Ennis’ defensive showing this year.
- Ennis, who has played for three teams in his four-year career, said that he hasn’t taken he spot in the league for granted since being traded in his rookie season: “From that day forward, I think I was always playing for my NBA career.”
- He felt that his opportunity with the Lakers was “the first time I was able to come in and get a fair shot,” without any drama or politics.