The Lakers won again, and after a 122-114 win over the Kings, the team won three straight games and finished seventh in the West with a record of 20 wins and 19 losses, just 0.5 wins away from the fifth-place Nuggets. During this time, in addition to James' outstanding performance, many times cut 30+, the Lakers also had a player who played the best performance of his career, he is Malik Munch, a 23-year-old young player.
Cut 20+ many times and become the best helper around James
After the thick eyebrow injury, the Lakers suffered a five-game losing streak, but despite James's outburst and the recovery of role players, the Lakers quickly regained their strength, and in the last 5 games, they won 4 and lost 1, with a win rate of up to 80%, and Malik Munch played a pivotal role. As a role player, Munch has scored 20+ in three of his last five games since he was promoted to start (replacing Tucker), with a shooting percentage of not less than 50%. Here are his specific statistics for these 5 games:
Against the Rockets, 7-of-14, with 25 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks;
Against the Grizzlies, 6-of-9, 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal;
Against the Blazers, 6-of-11, with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block;
Against the Timberwolves, 8-of-14, scored 22 points, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks;
Against the Kings, he was 8-of-15 and had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block.
That is to say, in the last 5 games, Munch has averaged 20.8 points per game, shooting 56.3% from the field, and averaging 3.4 three-pointers per game. Throughout the season, Munch has scored 20+ in 8 games, although he can only get 25.6 minutes of playing time per game, but he can deliver 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.7 steals, and the shooting rate is 47.7%, averaging 2 three-pointers per game, and the three-point shooting rate is 38.4%, which is quite efficient.
Always ready
Although Munch was signed by the Lakers on a one-year, $1.79 million base salary, he actually had a very high draft pick, he was selected by the Hornets with the 11th pick in the first round of 2017, and he is only 24 years old this year. However, in the 4 seasons of the Hornets, Munch has not been able to play. As a 191cm defender, Munch's arm span is only 192cm, coupled with his physical fitness is not particularly outstanding, and his ability to hold the ball offensively is limited, so he has been mixed in the bench circle for many years.
After joining the Lakers with a base salary this season, Munch also played as a substitute for a long time at the beginning, but because the starting Horton Tucker performed too poorly (averaging 28.2 minutes per game, only 10.4 points, shooting 39.7% from the field and 22.2% from three-point range), the final coach had to let Munch start on top, who knows this top, and really found a treasure for the team. After being promoted to the start, Munch gave full play to his advantages, he dared to fight on the court, and James's blocking and dismantling often made it difficult for opponents to choose, packing James, Munch's outside line direct three-pointers, to know that this season Munch's catch will shoot a three-point shooting rate of up to 40%, the opponent does not dare to let go, and when the opponent chooses to change defenses, Old Zhan can punish his defenders, it is really two cups of poison to choose which cup is not appropriate.
This season, although Munch has only played seven starts with the Lakers, he has more than his previous four seasons combined. No one doesn't value such an opportunity, and Munch is clearly no exception, and when he mentions his performance, Munch says: "I am ready for this kind of role, and I am confident that I will play well in every game." The NBA is actually a big filter, talent is not much here, we often see the highlight performance of the stars, witness James for more than a decade to maintain the peak, but do not pay attention to the role players who fade out of the league. The world is so cruel, the weak eat the strong, the survival of the fittest, the opportunity is left to those who are prepared, and it is clear that Munch is ready.
Munch's role for the Lakers
This season, the Lakers averaged 34.9% of three-point shooting per game, ranking only 16th in the league, and the team has howard, Jordan Jr., Tucker and Westbrook and many other players with less than 30% three-point shooting rate, and the space is extremely limited. As an excellent pitcher, Munch can not only open up space for the team, but also impact the basket, fully ensuring the vitality and vitality of the team. Munch made 105 shots under the basket this season and hit 66 of them, shooting 62.9 percent from the field, more than the league average.
Defensively, Munch, while not a good single-player, works very hard, and the data shows that this season under his defense, the opponent's three-point shooting rate is 6 percentage points lower than usual. Obviously, Munch's role in the Lakers is positive, when he is on the floor, the Lakers can win 3.7 points per 100 rounds, and when he is not on the floor, the team loses 3.2 points per 100 rounds, both of which rank at the top of the team.