LAS VEGAS _ The opportunity is there for Moritz Wagner.
The former Michigan basketball standout is one of three centers currently on the Los Angeles Lakers roster.
One of them, 10-year veteran JaVale McGee, has made one 3-pointer in his career.
The other, Ivica Zubac, is 0-for-4 in two seasons.
Wagner, 21, shot 39 percent from 3-point range in three seasons with the Wolverines.
That could bode well for playing time.
In a move that reinforced Western Conference superiority, the Lakers signed superstar LeBron James this offseason from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After leading Eastern Conference teams to the NBA Finals for eight straight seasons, the formula is simple:
Surround James with 3-point shooting and winning follows.
Wagner, who suffered a left-knee contusion during Las Vegas Summer League play earlier this week, is too smart to look ahead.
"I'm not worried about that," Wagner said after grabbing 14 rebounds to go along with three steals and two blocked shots in the Lakers' victory Sunday night against the Chicago Bulls.
"That's nothing I can control. I'm just playing my game, trying to get better. The offseason is so long you never know what happens. That's nothing I think about right now. I'm just trying to get better this summer. Everything else is out of my control."
Still, when you look at James' history, big men who can shoot the 3-pointer help create space for one of the best players in league history to control games.
