Although no one is a sure thing in the NBA, there are at least five top-tier college players who could step in immediately and be a nice complementary piece to last year’s first-round lottery pick, forward Julius Randle.
The Lakers have holes virtually everywhere on the court, so this high first-round selection is crucial for them as they start their slow ascension back to prominence. In fact, each and every pick the Lakers have (could be four) will ultimately help shape their 2015-16 roster and have an impact on what free agents to pursue in July.
Several scenarios await the 20-55 Lakers as they prepare for their final seven games, starting with a home-and-away series against the playoff-bound Los Angeles Clippers and ending April 15 at home against the Sacramento Kings.
In all likelihood, the Lakers finish with the fourth-worst record in the NBA, which would give them an 11.9 percent change of obtaining the top pick in the June 25 draft.
It's happened to other teams before, though the chances are remote for L.A.
Envision a minor miracle: Lakers end up with first pick
If the Lakers are lucky enough to capture the first pick when the lottery positions are determined May 19, logic would dictate they select one of the top big men in Jahlil Okafor of Duke or Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky. Both are seen as potential game-changers for a franchise.
The 6'11", 270-pound Okafor has been seen as the No. 1 pick for most of his freshman season. Towns, however, has been gaining ground all year and could supplant the Duke prodigy as the first player taken. Experts are split, per Sports Illustrated.
Towns is a tremendous shot-blocker—he had 87 during the regular season for the Wildcats—whil...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
