“Leave JJ No Excuse”: Laker Nation’s Emotional Plea to Quincy Olivari After LeBron James’ Blow Opens Major Opportunity
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“What he did is the blueprint for what we’re asking for a few of our players in terms of just picking up full court, being disruptive, taking time off the shot clock.” JJ Redick had some serious praise to hand out to Quincy Olivari after the Lakers’ matchup against the Bucks. However, that was back in mid-October, when the team was still playing in preseason. The reputation he created for himself, however, was quite prominent. Despite this, the newly signed 23-year-old hasn’t been given any chance to prove himself in the regular season. For anyone who’s waiting for him, the recent turn of events has given the young gun a chance to finally make his mark.
Earlier today, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha revealed that both LeBron James and Austin Reaves have been declared ‘OUT’ of the upcoming Trail Blazers game. The soon-to-be 40-year-old sustained soreness in his left foot, while they ruled Reaves out because of a left pelvic contusion. With injuries mounting, a call was made. Quincy Olivari is now set to make his NBA regular season debut!
In anticipation of this, hoops analysts couldn’t be more excited. Anthony F. Irwin even wrote, “Quincy Olivari time.” As it turned out, he wasn’t the only one to put out his thoughts publicly.
Fans cannot wait for Quincy Olivari to feature in Lakers rotations: “He better get playing time”
One social media user wrote, “Time to take over big dog @quincyolivari,” and also added, “Leave JJ no excuse”.
Quincy Olivari had created a memorable impression on NBA fans after he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1 assist in 4 preseason games. He also showcased memorable stats during his G League performances. As a result, JJ Redick often received calls to add him to the main lineup. More particularly, the fans had asked the head coach to use Olivari as a replacement for Gabe Vincent.
However, the 23-year-old was dealing with his own set of ankle troubles. His two-way contract confined a lot of his game-time to the G League level. While the head coach didn’t heed public opinion earlier, this has changed for the time being. If Olivari delivers in the next few regular season games, then he just might become an important part of the Lakers lineup.
NBA insider Trevor Lane of ‘Lakers Nation’, also took to social media to share his reaction. He wrote, “Let’s do this”. Around mid-September, Olivari even sat down for an interview with Lane. At the time, he was still playing under an Exhibit 10 contract.
Discussing what he wanted to prove to the front office, Olivari stated, “I have been able to continue to show that not only can I shoot, I can affect the game outside of scoring. It’s something that is important for someone in my role because they aren’t looking for a scorer, they’re looking for someone that can play a role alongside the star players that they already have and every day we play 5-on-5, I’m able to showcase that”.
Therefore, like many of the fans, Trevor Lane would certainly be glad to see the player getting the chance to prove himself during the regular season now.
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One individual highlighted, “We really missed reaves and could really learn a lot about Olivari if we actually play him. I think he would take all of dlo and gabes mins if we gave him a chance”.
Once again, D’Angelo Russell and Gabe Vincent are facing the brunt of the hate from NBA fans. After not performing well during the playoffs last season, Russell is now averaging 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. The player has scored 20 points, or above, in only one game this season. Furthermore, 8 of the regular season games had him scoring in the single digits.
Meanwhile, Gabe’s absence in the previous season had earned him a “negative asset” rating by HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. Now, his performance, especially his defensive display against the Atlanta Hawks, has him receiving the not-so-pretty grace of fans, again.
One individual made a case for Quincy Olivari, stating, “He better get playing time”. After the 1st quarter, Anthony Davis and Max Christie walked away with the most on-court minutes. The duo recorded 12 and 10 minutes respectively, making a combined 14 points. Meanwhile, the team brought in Quincy Olivari, but he only played for 2 minutes in the 1st quarter. The time was not enough for him to earn any points. Fortunately, the majority of the game is remaining, giving Olivari plenty of time to prove his worth.
With injuries mounting, rookie Quincy Olivari will be active tonight for the Lakers.
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports)
December 9, 2024
Another individual seemed to have too much confidence in Quincy Olivari. After all, nothing else could’ve convinced him to outright state, “Going to bet the (Mortgage) on him”. The individual indicated that the young star is certainly convincing enough to have fans bet on him. Therefore, what more can one say?
Overall, the majority of reactions highlighted a wave of positivity towards the 23-year-old. Fans won’t truly know whether their vote of confidence bears any fruit until the game concludes. Till then, one can only hope for the best while seeing Quincy Olivari in action.
