With just 18 games left in a historically abysmal season, the Los Angeles Lakers continue their implacable march to the only prize that still matters—the 2016 NBA draft.
L.A. has a top-three protected pick this year, and this brings up the obvious possibility of selecting a collegiate star to complement a roster that is already youth-heavy. But in order to get there, the second-to-worst team in the league will still have to survive the bouncing ping-pong balls on lottery night.
If the Lakers drop below the third position, they’ll have to hand over their booty to the worst team in basketball, the Philadelphia 76ers. This is due to Philadelphia landing the rights to the pick via a trade with the Phoenix Suns, who previously acquired it in the 2012 Steve Nash transaction.
Talk about rubbing salt in the wound!
There are still occasional rays of warmth in Lakerland—the perfect example being Sunday’s glorious win against the Golden State Warriors.
Nonetheless, let’s assume L.A.’s free fall will now resume, the lottery treats them kindly and the end result is another arrow in their Generation Y quiver.
Ben Simmons, LSU, F
There’s only one choice if the Lakers draw the top overall pick, and that’s LSU’s freshman star, Ben Simmons. Louisiana’s season has been disappointing at 18-13, but Simmons—averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game—is now ready to conquer the NBA.
The 6’10” native Australian has been compared to none other than LeBron James for his multi-positional stat-stuffing talent—a combo forward with point guard skills who drives to the basket, collapses defenses and shares the rock.
Comparing the reedy Simmons to such an iconic powerhouse might be a stretch, but even LBJ is drinking the Kool-Aid.
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
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Published: March 7, 2016Posted in: LA Lakers
