Matt Ryan hoping to become trustworthy shooter for LeBron James: "I think a time is coming where he’s really gonna look at me"
LA Lakers sharpshooter Matt Ryan recently expressed his thoughts on playing with superstar LeBron James. He mentioned how he expects himself to be the next reliable shooter to be paired with James.
While mentioning James' greatness and his accomplishments, Ryan charted out the standards he needs to maintain to be LeBron's teammate. He said:
"Playing with LeBron, who has had just so much success in his career and has had success with shooters- I think a time is coming where he’s really gonna look at me, like one of those next really good shooters that he has. At least, that’s what I can hope for."
“Playing with LeBron, who has had just so much success in his career and has had success with shooters, I think a time is coming where he’s really gonna look at me, like one of those next really good shooters that he has. At least, that’s what I can hope for.”
- Matt Ryan https://t.co/CVsrr6HZhz
Ryan has been a bit of a revelation for the LA Lakers this season. After surprising the team and the fanbase during the preseason, Ryan earned himself a roster spot for his shooting ability.
The 25-year-old shooting guard from Notre Dame made his NBA debut with the Boston Celtics last season. Unfortunately, he didn't get much playing time and was assigned to the G League.
This season, however, Ryan has won the hearts of the Purple and Gold faithful. With a touching story that saw him go from a DoorDash delivery driver to a Laker, fans are now expecting Ryan to become the team's best 3-point shooter.
The guard is also aware of the expectations placed on him. However, he appears to be significantly more ambitious in his approach to the situation.
LeBron James has enjoyed a lot of success over the course of his career when surrounded by shooters. Having played alongside the likes of Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Kyle Korver, LeBron has led teams to championships when paired with solid perimeter threats.
Ryan is currently shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc on 3.8 attempts per game.
Related: Who is Matt Ryan? Tracing the former G League player's path to NBA and LA Lakers
The LA Lakers have failed to support LeBron James
LeBron James' ability to turn teams into title contenders when paired with shooters is well established. However, the Purple and Gold did very little this offseason in providing James with the required pieces.
With only Matt Ryan and Lonnie Walker IV carrying the burden of becoming perimeter shooting threats, the Lakers have fallen far short in that category.
Meanwhile, the Lakers remain linked to acquire Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers.
Hield is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league and Turner is a solid rim-protector. The Lakers, therefore, have an important decision to make in the coming weeks if they want to pull off this trade.