Lance Stephenson

Joey Ramirez

Coming off one of the most productive campaigns of his eight-year career, Lance Stephenson is looking to leave his next mark in L.A., having agreed to a contract with the Lakers.

A 6-foot-5, 230-pound wing, Stephenson’s offensive skill set stems from his ability to handle the ball and attack the rim.

The 27-year-old was a reliable sixth man for Indiana last year, averaging 9.2 points on 42.7 percent shooting, despite having little success from 3-point range (28.9 percent).

While defenders can sag off of Stephenson due to his inconsistent jumper, he often takes advantage by using that space as a runway for his drives.

With this knack for slashing, the Brooklyn native is also cast as a secondary ball handler, and has shown capable of handling responsibilities out of pick-and-roll.

Stephenson also likes to handle the ball in transition, which makes sense given that he is a skilled rebounder, averaging 5.2 boards last year in 22.6 minutes.

He tied Victor Oladipo and new teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the second-highest rebounding average among shooting guards, and he was the only one among the top five at his position to play fewer than 30 minutes per game.

With Stephenson, KCP, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Rajon Rondo, the Lakers have a stable of guards who are excellent on the glass.

But perhaps Stephenson’s greatest value lies on the defensive side, where he puts his aggressive mentality and 6-foot-10 wingspan to use.

There is a reason why Stephenson spent the majority of his playoff minutes guarding the best player on the floor: LeBron James.

Stephenson — like everyone else who guarded LeBron — couldn’t contain the postseason’s leading scorer. But he was as good an option as Indiana had during its seven-game slugfest with Cleveland.

Joining his seventh team in five seasons, Stephenson will be challenged to provide consistent production.

He is certainly capable with his unique skill set.

He can handle ball handling duties and is a decent shooter when only asked to spot up. He crashes the glass and accepts any defensive challenge.

Now Stephenson will have to show how those abilities fit alongside his new crew in L.A.

latest-laker-lance-stephenson

Latest Laker: Lance Stephenson

Rodrigo Azurmendi

EL SEGUNDO - Los Lakers han firmado al escolta Lance Stephenson, según anunció hoy el gerente general Rob Pelinka. Por política del equipo, los términos del vínculo no fueron difundidos.

Stephenson disputó los 82 juegos (siete como titular) con Indiana Pacers la temporada pasada, promediando 9.2 puntos, 5.2 rebotes y 2.9 asistencias en 22.6 minutos por partido.

"Es increíblemente emocionante que Lance se sume a nuestro equipo", dijo Pelinka. "Lance tiene experiencia en playoffs y le traerá un cierto un filo, confianza y fortaleza a nuestra nómina. Su versatilidad multi-posicional y habilidades en la cancha abierta serán ingredientes claves en el estilo de baloncesto que diseñamos para la próxima temporada".

Stephenson, un veterano de ocho temporadas en la NBA, ha disputado 440 juegos en su carrera (196 como titular) con Indiana, Charlotte, L.A. Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans y Minnesota, promediando 8.8 puntos, 4.3 rebotes y 3.0 asistencias en 24.4 minutos. Él también ha jugado 57 partidos en playoffs (38 como titular), con promedios de 11.1 puntos, 5.6 rebotes y 3.2 asistencias.

Escogido por los Pacers con la selección No. 40 del Draft de 2010, Stephenson tuvo registros de 12.3 puntos, 5.4 rebotes y 2.5 asistencias en 34 juegos en su carrera (32 como titular) con la Universidad de Cincinnati.

lakers-firman-al-escolta-lance-stephenson

Lakers firman al escolta Lance Stephenson

admin

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Lance Stephenson, it was announced today by General Manager Rob Pelinka. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Stephenson appeared in all 82 games (seven starts) for the Indiana Pacers last season, tallying 9.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 22.6 minutes per game.

“It’s incredibly exciting to have Lance join our team,” Pelinka said. “Lance is playoff-tested and will bring a certain edge, confidence and toughness to our roster. His multi-positional versatility and open-court playmaking abilities are key ingredients for the basketball style we designed for next season.”

An eight-year NBA veteran, Stephenson has played in 440 career games (196 starts) for Indiana, Charlotte, the LA Clippers, Memphis, New Orleans and Minnesota, averaging 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 24.4 minutes. He has also appeared in 57 NBA playoff games (38 starts), with career averages of 11.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists.

Selected by the Pacers with the 40th selection in the 2010 NBA Draft, Stephenson averaged 12.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 34 career games (32 starts) at the University of Cincinnati.

Lance Stephenson

Latest Laker: Lance Stephenson

Lakers firman al escolta Lance Stephenson

Lakers Sign Lance Stephenson