The Los Angeles Lakers have great frontcourt talent on their roster heading into the 2024-25 NBA season and one forward they have signed to a two-way contract could prove to be a valuable stash at some point in the year.
Lakers center Christian Koloko will split time between Los Angeles’s NBA squad and their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers next season. He missed all of the 2023-24 campaign with a blood clot ailment. Nevertheless, now that he is back, the former No. 33 overall pick from 2022 has an offensive and defensive arsenal that will service the Lakers well when his number is called.
Christian Koloko has the tools to be a high-energy role player for the Lakers
From the eye test, the 7-1 big man sports a long and lanky 230-pound frame, yet is agile and imposing in the paint. Koloko thrives at finishing on second-chance opportunities at the rim. He is talented at rising up over opposing rebounders to corral boards, as well as tipping the rock to gain control and going back up with a quick second jump.
Aside from his activity on the glass, Koloko also runs well in transition, and commendably, gets straight to the point when looking to score the rock. The Arizona product dunks with authority, runs to the rim with a purpose in the screen-and-roll, and is frequently used in the dunker spot in half-court sets.
- Lakers’ depth at risk with young center facing NBA investigation
- Lakers could deal hidden young gem amid increased trade interest
- Lakers superstar lights fire under team despite win over Raptors: ‘Unacceptable’
There’s room for Koloko to thrive and grow next to Anthony Davis next season
The latter could prove to create some congestion down low for L.A. next season, but history shows that Lakers power forward Anthony can not only coexist with a true center occupying the interior next to him, but actually prefers such situations, and won a championship in 2020 doing so with JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard as his centers.
Koloko is young and only has one active year in the Association under his belt. In 2022-23, he averaged 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and an astonishing one block in 13.8 minutes per game. Koloko could refine his game further and, should the Lakers suffer injury or necessity for a fresh look at the five, be the athletic traditional center that can do the little things that every championship team needs to excel on a game-by-game basis.
