Devin Ebanks Discussion (Re-signing on a 1-Year Deal)

JSM · by **JSM** on Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:37 pm

Good signing, depending what Brown has in store for him.

Lakerjones · by **Lakerjones** on Mon Aug 13, 2012 11:41 pm

Weezy wrote:As I said before, I like the one year deal, one more season to see if there is true potential there, cheap signing, high chance for reward. Now just don't screw with the guy's head all season, give him consistent back-up playing time so he can get into an actual rhythm and stay there. I really don't think that's too much to ask of Potato Head.

^^ Me neither. Glad it's finally official and Devin is signed on!

BDG · by **BDG** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:13 am

I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

purp n gold · by **purp n gold** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:03 am

Excellent. I'd rather have a better backup PG but I think we're ready to roll. :jam2:

KB24 · by **KB24** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 6:01 am

BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:29 am

KB24 wrote:
BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

Grant Hill is a terrible 3 point shooter, and he's just fine as a SF. I think in that role, Ebanks can excel.

MadMax · by **MadMax** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:49 am

I think Ebanks will fill his role nicely this year. There isn't a whole lot expected from him in terms of major production. All we need him to do is score some points and play some defense. I think he is capable of doing both. All he needs is Brown to give him a chance to prove himself as an NBA player.

BigDan24 · by **BigDan24** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:21 am

therealdeal wrote:
KB24 wrote:
BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

Grant Hill is a terrible 3 point shooter, and he's just fine as a SF. I think in that role, Ebanks can excel.

Hill hit 35-80 2 years ago and 45-114 1 year ago.
Even tho he shoot only 14-53 last season, that's still better than what Ebanks did his whole career (2-17).
He needs to atleast hit a three every other game...

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:39 am

One every other game? Where the heck did you pull that from?

Grant has also played far more than Ebanks has in his career. Grant played almost three times as many minutes last season as Ebanks has played in his entire career. You think maybe that has something to do with it?

Helljumper · by **Helljumper** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:09 pm

I think Meeks and Jamison, along with occasionally being able to play alongside Nash and Dwight, is going to be enough to stabilize our bench's scoring problems. All we really need from our back-up SF now is decent defense, slashing for a lay-up or two, and a mid-range jumper here and there. I think Ebanks can provide that.

KB24 · by **KB24** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:40 pm

therealdeal wrote:
KB24 wrote:
BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

Grant Hill is a terrible 3 point shooter, and he's just fine as a SF. I think in that role, Ebanks can excel.

there is a difference. Hill is a fantastic defender and he is one of the smartest players in the league. You are not comparing Grant Hill to Ebanks, do you? Rondo can't shoot either, yet he is an all-star PG.

You need to be good at something to play. Ebanks isn't particularly good at anything. He can hit a midrange shot if open, he sometimes cuts to the basket, he sometimes plays inspired defense...thats about it. There is not a single thing you can count on Ebanks doing every night.

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:52 pm

^ I just find it unfair to say that yet. In two years he's played only 500 minutes. Grant played over 1300 minutes last season. We need to give this kid a legitimate chance to be a backup SF before I think we can claim he can't do it. If he really can't, if he's really that uninspiring, then we slide Jamison up and have Hill play more PF, no problem.

My comparison is a Grant Hill-lite. Grant excels in a few places on the court: midrange, defense, and savvy. He's a good defender, Ebanks can match that I think. Devin is definitely money when left open midrange just like Grant. The one area where Devin will probably never be able to match Grant is savvy; Hill is incredibly smart as a player. Devin however can make up for it with athleticism; for instance Devin may get beat by a savvy guy, but he can use his length and athleticism to make up for it.

I'm not saying Ebanks will be great, but serviceable is something I think he can manage.

JoelMyersScrotalSack · by **JoelMyersScrotalSack** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 12:58 pm

I'm not very high on Ebanks, but we don't have much of a choice. Hopefully he breaks out this season.

Lakerjones · by **Lakerjones** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:01 pm

I'm with therealdeal. I think Ebanks has the tools to be a decent SF. He does need development desperately though to do so. Some of it's got to come from his own training (practicing shooting from distance) and a lot of it's got to come from game experience. Hopefully Brown will develop him this season and not play too many games with his minutes or role.

gcclaker · by **gcclaker** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:17 pm

Ebanks has solid shooting form though he needs to have confidence and practice in doing it from distance not just from midrange. He can run the floor and get off the ground quick. In his rookie season, Ebanks had memorable lob passes from Blake that were highlight reel worthy. He's not a slasher [yet]...

Defensively, Ebanks has the lenght, instincts and good footwork. Wasn't he lauded for that to begin with at West Virginia? Brown hasn't given him time because of Artest and the win now situation. He didn't have the patience nor the leeway to afford for Ebanks. With Barnes not coming back, now is his chance.

therealdeal · by **therealdeal** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:29 pm

gcclaker wrote:Ebanks has solid shooting form though he needs to have confidence and practice in doing it from distance not just from midrange. He can run the floor and get off the ground quick. In his rookie season, Ebanks had memorable lob passes from Blake that were highlight reel worthy. He's not a slasher [yet]...

Defensively, Ebanks has the lenght, instincts and good footwork. Wasn't he lauded for that to begin with at West Virginia? Brown hasn't given him time because of World Peace and the win now situation. He didn't have the patience nor the leeway to afford for Ebanks. With Barnes not coming back, now is his chance.

This is the key. Barnes isn't coming back and it's time for Ebanks to step up. If he can't, the Lakers will make moves to hide him on the roster, be sure of that. I hope that Ebanks learned a few things from Matt about working hard on glass, defense, and hustling.

lakersin4 · by **lakersin4** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:37 pm

Ebanks is really in a great position this season.. With Barnes gone there's no way Mike Brown can be blamed. If you can't find your niche on this team, your niche doesn't exist.. He'll be the last guy the defense is worried about most of the time & he should see a decent amount of minutes. We already know he can play defense, but being on an improved defensive team with more help behind him will allow him to be even more aggressive. I'm really looking foward to seeing what he can bring.

Psychobroker · by **Psychobroker** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:40 pm

KB24 wrote:
BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

So I guess slashers have no place on our team with the most dominant C in the NBA? :freak2:

easyguy · by **easyguy** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:53 pm

Psychobroker wrote:
KB24 wrote:
BDG wrote:I thought I was trippin but apparently he didn't hit a single three all year last season?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4774/gamelog;_ylt=AsPzxWnyCx3EZFZ.3xrmve6kvLYF

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy we re-signed him but hopefully he's been working on his long range shooting this offseason.

ya, I have said this several times now. If you can't defend or shoot, you are absolutely useless for this team. Ebanks is neither a great defender nor an adequate shooter from distance.

I really think backup SF is probably the upper end of his ceiling. He will never get better than that and if you hesitate to shoot 3s already at 24, chances are you will never feel comfortable from that distance.

So I guess slashers have no place on our team with the most dominant C in the NBA?

Ebanks is known for his slashing? since when? He might be able to slash once or twice, but after that they will guard him like a slasher and make him shoot from the outside. I think Barnes fell into the same situation, when he was forced to hit the outside shoots he missed them, so that made it extremely hard for him to have a lane to slash through.

I just dont see it in Ebanks, the same way I dont see it in Morris. But unfortunately he is all that we have. That is why I think one more trade/signing will help this team tremendously

easyguy · by **easyguy** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 1:58 pm

therealdeal wrote:^ I just find it unfair to say that yet. In two years he's played only 500 minutes. Grant played over 1300 minutes last season.

We cant just give him minutes, he has to earn it, most players earn playing time by showing the coach/teammates that he can hang with them during practice. I think this is a good one year signing, he has one more year to prove to us that he wants and good enough to play with the Lakers.

gcclaker · by **gcclaker** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:04 pm

Ebanks doesn't move well without the ball nor does he go after it like Ariza and Barnes before him. To be fair, his minutes have been limited so maybe he'll surprise observers. I really liked Barnes who caused multiple possessions and kept the ball in play with his activity but unfortunately injuries hit him near the end of each season affecting his production in the playoffs. If Ebanks can replicate Barnes' hustle to a large degree then he'd play more.

lakerfan2 · by **lakerfan2** on Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:20 pm

Devin really surprised me last year when he got some early opportunity early in the year. Hitting midrange jumpers, playing defense using his length, he wasn't bad at all.

Like others said, give him the opportunity to showcase his play. The same thing with Trevor. Everyone was like, who the hell is Trevor Ariza before we got him. Lanky, athletic, no shot. Ebanks can do work given the time.

JSM · by **JSM** on Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:47 am

Mark Medina of the LA Times wrote:As time passed by, Devin Ebanks could only stay patient.

He took that approach when he waited until last week to sign the Lakers' one-year qualifying offer for a little more than $1 million.

"We were just waiting to see if the Dwight Howard trade would go through or not," said Ebanks, who frequently consulted with his agent, David Bauman, to ensure the Lakers wouldn't lump him in what became a four-team, 12-player deal. "This is the place I want to be. I've been here my whole career. Our choice was pretty much set. We were just waiting on the Dwight move."

Ebanks stayed patient as he spent four weeks from mid June to July treating what he called a "tweaked" left knee. Around that time, Ebanks played in a pro-am game in New York City and suffered what he called a "freak accident" by slipping on a wet spot on the floor. So Ebanks and the Lakers agreed he sit out summer league games.

"They felt it was best to give it a rest and let it heal naturally," Ebanks said. "I'm back now working out and it's pretty much 100%."

Ebanks has also stayed patient with a limited role the last two seasons with the Lakers. Yet, the Lakers have liked how he's progressively improved ever since selecting him with their 43rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. Ebanks averaged only four points on 41.6% shooting last season, but his role was elevated.

Lakers Coach Mike Brown surprisingly gave him the starting nod for the first four games of last season at small forward. After spending the rest of the season mostly on the bench, Ebanks cracked the starting lineup because of Kobe Bryant's late-season shin injury and Metta World Peace's seven-game suspension for elbowing Thunder guard James Harden. In Ebanks' 12 starts, he averaged 6.4 points on 47.7% shooting.

"I improved in having confidence in making my jump shot," Ebanks said. "I don't like to say there's a lot of things I'm improved on because I need to improve on everything."

It's possible Ebanks won't have to be as patient this season. He may have a bigger role at small forward, considering the Lakers didn't resign veteran forward Matt Barnes. Ebanks also has plenty of incentive to do well, considering he will become a free agent next summer. But Ebanks pledged not to think in those terms, especially since the Lakers boast a star-studded starting lineup in Howard, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and World Peace.

"I just want to make myself better for the team," Ebanks said. "There's no individual goals. I'm definitely not one of the players people are going to be focusing on this year. I just need to step into my role and make shots when I take them."

Ebanks says he was cleared to play last month and has routinely visited the Lakers' practice facility, working with assistant coaches Chuck Person and Darvin Ham. Ebanks has mostly worked on shots both off the dribble and in the post. He's maintained a consistent shooting stroke where he's fully extending his follow through, an area Lakers development coach Phil Handy believed Ebanks struggled with last season. Currently at 225 pounds, Ebanks plans to ratchet up his workout intensity in hopes of adding more strength in both his hips and legs.

All these developments appear fairly subtle. But then again, that's what has helped Ebanks stay on the Lakers thus far. On a team filled with superior talent, Ebanks has slowly but surely tried to prove he's a dependable role player. He's just had to stay patient.

Said Ebanks: "I'm happy to be a Laker."

by **jamabile** on Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:15 am

^Glad he's healthy. Besides the backup PG, SF is our weakest position. I hope he can come in and contribute, gives us some good defense, make open shots, run the floor, etc. He has the tools. I hope he puts it all together this season...

KB24 · by **KB24** on Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:16 am

"I don't like to say there's a lot of things I'm improved on because I need to improve on everything."

Sentence makes no sense but its good to see that he knows he has to improve on everything. If there aren't much he is improved on, then he is in trouble.

I just need to step into my role and make shots when I take them."

no, you have to play defense and do dirty work mainly. Hitting your shots is always a good idea especially from 3 point range but thats a plus.

Said Ebanks: "I'm happy to be a Laker."

thats important.

Devin Ebanks Discussion (Re-signing on a 1-Year Deal)

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