(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Last summer, center Thomas Bryant signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that he started his NBA career with during the 2017-18 season.
He played very well, both as a backup to Anthony Davis and as a replacement for him when he missed five weeks with a right foot stress injury.
But once Davis returned in late January, Bryant saw his playing time go down somewhat, and right before the trade deadline, he asked to be traded in order to get more time on the court.
He was sent to the Denver Nuggets, but instead of getting his wish, his playing time has actually diminished even more, as has his production.
Thomas Bryant left the Lakers so he could get more playing time.
His minutes per game with the Lakers: 21.4
His minutes per game with the Nuggets: 10.6 pic.twitter.com/K3slHFPoDh
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) March 31, 2023
The Nuggets were thinking they were getting a very viable backup for two-time MVP center Nikola Jokic in Bryant, but he’s averaging just 4.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game while shooting 46.7 percent overall and 33.3 percent from 3-point range with Denver.
In 41 games with the Lakers earlier this season, he put up 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game and shot 65.4 percent overall and 44.0 percent from downtown.
Bryant has always been an energetic player who finishes strong at the rim, rebounds well, runs the floor as well as any big man and can stretch the floor.
But for some reason, he hasn’t played up to his standards in the Mile High City.
The Lakers replaced Bryant with Mo Bamba, who can do some of the things Bryant does but is a strong rim protector and shoots a higher volume of 3-pointers.
With his former team surging, perhaps Bryant is starting to regret leaving L.A.
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