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Ryan Kelly the odd man out for Los Angeles Lakers?

By Andrew Melnick

Mar 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young (0) celebrates with forward Ryan Kelly (4) in the final minute against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. The Lakers won 103-94. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young (0) celebrates with forward Ryan Kelly (4) in the final minute against the Orlando Magic at Staples Center. The Lakers won 103-94. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ryan Kelly was a bit of a surprise for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Entering his second year in the league, he is obviously looking to build on that strong rookie campaign.

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Howver, with all of the big men the Lakers have now, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders believes Kelly may be the odd man out in Los Angeles.

"I’m not expecting much from him, mainly because the Lakers brought in a ton of new frontcourt players this summer in Julius Randle, Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis in addition to bringing back Jordan Hill and Robert Sacre. He may have been a good fit for Mike D’Antoni’s system, but I don’t know if he’ll play much under Byron Scott. I could be wrong and he could be a significant contributor, but I’m not so sure at the moment."

Of course, if the Lakers quickly fall out the playoff race, they could deal some of their veterans and give guys like Kelly a chance to play.

Kelly was selected with the 48th-overall pick of the second round  by the Lakers in the 2013 NBA Draft. He seemed like a bit of a long-shot to see much time for the Lakers despite his prestigious college career with the Duke Blue Devils. He was called up from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, and eventually became a regular with the Lakers. In 59 games, he made 29 starts and played 22.2 minutes per game. He averaged 8.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 42.3% from the field, 33.8% from beyond the arc and 81.5% from the free throw line.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league as we get you ready for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

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