To be betrayed by the bouncing ping-pong balls would have been a cruel fate for a team whose 61-loss season was bitter enough.
But after so many recent disappointments, the Lakers saw their fortunes improve in a major way—landing the No. 2 overall pick.
It is the kind of opportunity that can change the landscape in Los Angeles and it will help guide the entire offseason, including free agency.
In addition to the second overall selection, the L.A. front office will have two additional bites at the apple—the Nos. 27 and 34 picks. And that means up to 80 players will be brought to L.A. for workouts per Bill Oram of The Orange County Register.
“Because players that could be taken at (No.) 34,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said, “you’ve got to bring in players that might be taken at 50 and players that might be taken in the 20s, just to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered.”
The Lakers have real needs across the board but some areas are more egregiously lacking then others. At the top of the list is an elite big man and the No. 2 pick will make that a reality.
No. 2, Karl-Anthony Towns, C Kentucky
The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the top prize at the lottery Tuesday night. But as Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding notes, there is a belief the Timberwolves might pass on Karl-Anthony Towns—widely considered the No. 1 pick—in favor of Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.
Towns is a beast in the paint, a defensive tour-de-force. And nobody, but nobody actually thought the Lakers had a shot at him. But now they do.
If L.A. ends up with Okafor instead there will be no sha...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
