Some people underplayed the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to sign free agent center Thomas Bryant back in July.
They claimed he was too pedestrian, too injury-prone and too under-equipped to make any type of noticeable impact on the Purple and Gold.
Instead, Bryant has done quite the opposite so far this season.
After missing the first few weeks of the schedule with a thumb injury, he immediately made his presence felt by coming off the bench and supplying energy, hustle and emotion. He also provided the team with easy baskets by moving without the ball, hustling for offensive rebounds and running the floor on the fast break.
But more recently, it has been another aspect of his game that seems to be taking his value to the Lakers to a higher level.
Bryant seems to be rediscovering his 3-point shot
As a member of the Washington Wizards, Bryant shot 40.7 percent and 42.9 percent from 3-point range in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, respectively.
That figure dropped to 28.6 percent last year, but in his last few games, it has looked like he has regained his outside shooting touch.
Bryant tried just one trey in his first five games (which he missed), but in his last 11 contests, he has attempted 1.6 triples per game and has made 44.4 percent of those attempts.
In his last three games, he has turned it up, going 5-of-9 from downtown.
If Bryant keeps this up, not only will he help with the Lakers’ biggest weakness – 3-point shooting – but it could open up the possibility, at least hypothetically, of him playing alongside Anthony Davis once he returns from his foot injury.
That type of lineup would have its most potential on the defensive end, as Davis would be able to more aggressively guard opposing 4s and be a disrupter, knowing he would have Bryant as a last line of defense in the paint.
