On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers officially signed center Christian Koloko to a two-way contract. It was their first free-agent signing this summer that could potentially make a real impact on how their roster looks and how well they play this coming season.
Koloko, a second-round draft pick in 2022, showed flashes of promise as a rookie with the Toronto Raptors, especially when it came to rim protection and finishing at the rim offensively. However, he missed all of last season due to a blood clot issue.
He is seven feet tall and has a 7-foot-5 wingspan, and with the Lakers’ new emphasis on player development, they may have a minor gem on their hands.
Many fans on X are hopeful and even excited about this signing.
However, there were some fans who feel lukewarm or even cynical about this move.
Arguably the Lakers’ biggest roster weakness has been the lack of a legitimate defensive center other than Anthony Davis. In fact, plenty of people have been clamoring for the team to acquire a starting-quality 5 so that Davis can play a good number of minutes at 4, as he did when it won the NBA championship in 2020.
Koloko will clearly be a project player for Los Angeles. But it has had some success with developing second-round draft picks in recent years, so if he has the desire, work ethic and ambition to be a useful player, perhaps it will only be a matter of time before he becomes just that.
