Lakers season wrap: Jodie Meeks gave effort, but not always results
Jodie Meeks was brought in by the Lakers to be a knock-it-down, spot-up shooter. When he was on, he opened up the floor for a team desperate for outside shooting.
Unfortunately, Meeks was inconsistent with his jumper.
Through 78 appearances, Meeks averaged 7.9 points a game on 38.7% shooting from the field. He hit 35.7% from three-point range but was one of the team’s best free-throw shooters at 89.6%.
Teams would try to force Meeks to put the ball on the floor, where he was vulnerable to miscues like turnovers or rushed shots.
Defensively, Meeks was a contributor with his energy. In transition, an area of weakness for the team, Meeks was one of the few Lakers who could changes ends of the floor with speed.
Meeks also struggled in certain individual matchups (like Alan Anderson of the Toronto Raptors) but also helped the Lakers win on the final day of the season while sticking to James Harden of the Houston Rockets.
His best game of the year was in a 102-96 win over the Washington Wizards in December, when he scored 24 points with five rebounds and three assists. On November 30, Meeks made seven of eight three-point shots for 21 points in a win over the Denver Nuggets.
Meeks suffered a high ankle sprain in Game 1 against the San Antonio Spurs after staying healthy for all of the regular season. He joined Kobe Bryant (Achilles’ tendon), Steve Nash (hip/hamstring), Steve Blake (hamstring) and Metta World Peace (knee) as fallen Lakers as they fell to the Spurs in four games.
The Lakers have a team option to keep Meeks for $1.55 million next season. In the NBA, that’s not a lot of money -- expect the Lakers to keep Meeks on the roster next season.
He may even be the starter at shooting guard, if Bryant isn’t ready to play by the season opener.
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Email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.
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