Lakers guard Jodie Meeks is finding his shot

In addition to the big-name acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, the Lakers brought in Jodie Meeks and Antawn Jamison to bolster the bench. Jamison and Meeks started slowly, but the pair have begun to emerge as contributors for the Lakers.

Meeks, formerly with the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, was brought in as a shooter to space the floor, but the early returns were unimpressive. Through his first nine appearances, Meeks shot only 28.6% from the field and 22.7% from three-point range.

Perhaps the arrival of Coach Mike D’Antoni has made a difference, but Meeks has helped the Lakers over the past three games (even if two were losses).

After averaging 2.8 points a game over his first nine, Meeks has put in 10.7 since. His field goal and three-point percentages in that stretch were both 50%.

On Saturday night against the Dallas Mavericks, Meeks played a season-high 20 minutes, scoring 11 points. He also collected five rebounds and dished out three assists.

The Lakers (7-7) have started slowly this season, notably with a coaching change and injury to Steve Nash. Meeks spreading the floor with his jumper could help change that for the better.

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You can email Eric Pincus at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.