After being bothered by a knee injury over the course of last season, newly acquired Los Angeles Lakers center Timofey Mozgov says it has completely healed and he is back to 100% health.
The 7-foot-1 center also added that he is ready to take on a bigger role this year after only seeing limited minutes in his last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
As reported by Mark Medina of the OC Register, the 30-year-old had this to say about what he can bring to his new team and also answered the question on his effectiveness after the injury:
“I can do whatever I’ve been doing for six years in the NBA. I’ll work in the paint, be big, make contested shots and block shots.”
“Before last season? Yeah, but it’s not about just injuries. Being in game condition, sometimes it takes a few weeks. You just have to play and play hard. The more minutes you have, the better you feel.”
Mozgov certainly has a lot to prove now that he is part of a historic franchise such as the Lakers. it also adds to the expectations that he signed a huge four-year $64 million contract. A lot may think the team overpaid for his services, but if he stays true to his word of being very easy to coach and that he'll do what is asked of him, he can be a player every coach and teammates would want to be around.
The Russian also discussed his understanding of what the team has to do to win and improve from last season. With Kobe Bryant now retired and with a very young roster, he'll be looked upon to serve as a locker room leader. He can also share some knowledge after playing alongside his superstar teammates in Cleveland and help bring a winning culture once again to L.A.
“We want to be aggressive on offense, we want to run, we want to push the ball, we want to move the ball. It’s not about me. What I’ll do on the court, I try to make my teammates get better. They’re going to get good looks.”
“My philosophy is I have to help everybody, let the guys come to me. They know I should be behind their back. I have to be there.”