Posted on by

The Lakers’ No. 41 deserves respect as a legitimate NBA player

The Lakers’ No. 41 deserves respect as a legitimate NBA player

The Los Angeles Lakers already have an undrafted prospect who has become a fan favorite.

In fact, Wichita State product Austin Reaves is one of the most popular players in the entire league. His personality is only overshadowed by his strengths, as he is a skilled shot maker, goalscorer and playmaker at 1.80 meters. Although the 26-year-old isn’t an elite athlete by NBA standards, he uses his mind and heart to make winning plays.

If there’s one player who could follow Reaves’ path, it’s Atlanta native Quincy Olivari.

The Lakers’ Quincy Olivari deserves respect as a legitimate NBA player

Olivari was not among the 58 players selected in the 2024 NBA Draft, but agreed to play for the Lakers shortly after it ended. As a super senior, he spent four seasons at Rice before transferring to Xavier and was a respectable scorer in college. In his final two seasons, he averaged 18.9 points per game on 38.7 percent three-point shooting. As a sophomore in 2020-21, he averaged 16.3 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent from distance at the time.

That means Olivari has been on the map for a while. Playing in Conference USA, where he was a two-time all-conference selection, doesn’t bring much prestige, but he was a known commodity. Leading the Big East in total points, as it did in 2023-24, didn’t generate much hype. However, and this is the case now more than ever, the best players are usually recognized no matter where they play.

Such is the case with Olivari, who has earned the respect of Lakers teammates like Max Christie.

Olivari, whom Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised for the defensive tenacity he wants from other players.

Olivari, which even Lakers leader LeBron James shouts out on Instagram.

As James says, they now know who “41” is.

No stranger to adversity

Frankly, the fanfare surrounding Olivari could fade as quickly as it came. On Thursday night, he made a number of key plays on both ends for the Lakers, helping them to a comeback against the Milwaukee Bucks. On another evening, things might not go so well for the 23-year-old. Fickle or fair-weather fans could turn against him.

But Olivari has already been through a lot of adversity.

Aside from going undrafted, which is every young basketball player’s dream, he only has a Schedule 10 contract. There is no guaranteed day for anyone in the NBA, especially not him. However, this is not a new experience for Olivari.

After his breakthrough sophomore season, he was hit by a car while riding without a helmet. Then he got sick and lost 20 pounds. Then he sprained his wrist during a friendly game. Rather than allowing circumstances to wear him down, he developed a greater understanding of the effort required to play at a high level And his non-dominant hand.

With 15 players already under contract on the Lakers’ standard roster and all three two-way spots filled, Olivari doesn’t have the best chance of making the breakthrough.

OlivariKC?

Los Angeles could be without one of Maxwell Lewis or Cam Reddish to make room for Olivari on the 15-man roster. Both players receive minimum salaries that are only fully guaranteed for this season. Additionally, neither Lewis nor Reddish have made much of a splash with the Lakers.

They could release one of Colin Castleton, Armel Traore or Christian Koloko to open a two-way slot. If Koloko isn’t cleared by the NBA’s fitness panel, the problem could be felt in LA. However, with so many injured big men on the roster, the Lakers would be reluctant to reduce their roster strength.

Olivari is probably a better player than Traore. Nevertheless, Traore provides the depth in the striker that Olivari, at 1.80 meters, cannot achieve. Both Reddish and Lewis also contribute depth on the wing, while Reddish has shown the potential to be a two-way playmaker.

Honestly, Olivari joining the South Bay Lakers to make his NBA dreams come true seems like the most realistic option. However, there are several teams that have an open roster spot, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Thunder, a young but successful team, might even be the best fit for Olivari.