LeBron James and Luka Dončić missed Sunday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ stars deal with injuries that will keep them out for an extended period of time.
With their rotation thin, head Coach JJ Redick was forced to play a hand that most certainly didn’t see coming.
That would be playing undrafted rookie guard Chris Mañon, checking in during the third quarter to play three minutes.
In those minutes, he went scoreless but grabbed a rebound and recorded a timely block.
Mañon may not have had much of an impact, but it is great to see Redick trust him despite being an undrafted rookie.
The Golden State Warriors gave him a chance in the Summer League, and he showed out, where he led their team in points, rebounds, and blocks.
He signed a two-way contract with the Lakers in late July, after spending about a month as a free agent.
Mañon spent three years at Cornell, averaging 11.2 points per game as well as 2.4 assists and 2.1 steals.
He then transferred to Vanderbilt to finish out his four-year college career, averaging 6.6 points per game in the tough SEC.
The Lakers are now 2-1, much of that was because of Dončić’s hot start to the season, but if his thumb injury is serious, Mañon could be in for an extended role.
This also has to do with the decline of Dalton Knecht.
Knecht has more than struggled recently, and ever since the trade was rescinded, he hasn’t played with the same confidence.
While the Lakers are banged up, Mañon may be able to capitalize and change the course of his career forever.
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