Lakers sign another: C.J. Giles

Another day, another Lakers signing.  C.J. Giles, a forward out of Oregon State, signed with the Lakers Friday, a day after Brandon Heath, bringing the number of players on their roster to 20.  Not all have signed, however.  Giles spent two seasons as Kansas before transferring to Oregon State, where he average 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds last season.  Of all the players the Lakers have signed this summer - Dwayne Mitchell, Josh Powell, Sun Yue, Joe Crawford, Heath and Giles, only Powell's and Sun's contract are guaranteed.  Training camps open September 30 and competition for the roster spot should be fierce among the newest players.  The backcourt are crammed and Giles will be looking for a spot behind Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, and Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmonovic and Ira Newble.  Newble, a free agent, however, might have seen his last game as a Laker.

Janis Carr, OCRegister.com

There's no magic in Sun Yue

Lakers guard Sun Yue said he doesn't want to be referred to as "China's Magic Johnson" but if he has to have a nickname "The Monkey King" is fine.  "I don't want to be called the next Magic Johnson," Sun told the China Daily of the nickname giving him by the Chinese Press.  "He was a great player, and he has everything you could ever ask for in a coach but I don't think I am going to pattern my game after him in my rookie year," he said of Magic Johnson, a part-owner of the Lakers.  Sun was signed by Los Angeles Lakers to a multi-year contract after he helped China to an 8th place finish at the Beijing Olympics.  He averaged 6.8 points and 2.5 assists at the Games.  "Monkey King is a legendary simian hero of the Chinese Buddhist literary classic "Journey to the West."  "If they want to name me after the fighting Buddhist master then I guess that will make me a bit more literary," Sun said "For the fans to already have these kinds of plans (to name me monkey king) is really great support for me."

Janis Carr, OCregister.com