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 early last 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 July 8 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.
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In three seasons with the Wolverines, Wagner gained a reputation as a skilled big man, capable of adept ballhandling and outside shooting.
His skill was on display this past season as the Wolverines reached the NCAA title game before being dismantled by the powerful Villanova Wildcats.
But before being ruled out of summer league with a knee injury, Wagner impressed the Lakers with his physicality and emotional play.
"He seems to end up on the floor 10 times a game, but it's fun to see," Lakers assistant Miles Simon said. "His energy, his passion kind of fuels our team because he's always smiling, engaging, talking out there. He's really progressing well in a short amount of time."
Before his summer league ended, Wagner averaged 10.3 points and eight rebounds in three games in Vegas — although he shot 37 percent from the field.
He added 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.
He was stronger during three games at the Sacramento Summer League.
He averaged 14.7 points and grabbed 8.3 rebounds. He added two blocked shots and 1.3 steals.
And he battled Kings rookie Marvin Bagley to a standstill in his game. Wagner finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and two steals; Bagley scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and added three blocked shots.
Bagley delivered a poster-worthy dunk on Wagner, but Wagner more than held his own.
He shot 38 percent in Sacramento, but Simon seemed pleased.
He said Wagner was impressive defensively, communicating with teammates as the back line of defense.
"That's something I've been working on this summer," Wagner said. "That's something I've been focused on, to be vocal 24/7 because that's something that's the reason I got drafted. I'm just trying to be vocal, be there for my teammates the whole game and be solid defensively. Offensively, I'm not really worried about it."
But Wagner's skill could lead to playing time.
Power forward Chris Bosh expanded his game to the 3-point line when he teamed up with James in Miami.
For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kevin Love and Channing Frye spaced the floor with outside shooting.
Could Wagner take that role with the Lakers?
The Lakers brass of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka spoke highly of the 25th overall selection.
"Selecting Mo Wagner was a big target for Magic," Pelinka told reporters. "When you build a team you have to have pillars that you build on, and for us, we're sticking to those core principals, which are guys that are high IQ basketball players that play the game the right way, that can shoot, that have length, that have versatility, that play with toughness."
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