The good news for the Lakers is that they are in a position with the second pick in the draft to get a guy who can help right away and the decision is pretty much made up for them: take the big man who Minnesota passes on.
The consensus among most experts is that the top four players in the draft are Karl Anthony-Towns, Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay.
If you buy into what's happening as the future of the league, the best way to build a winner is to get a playmaking guard who can make shots. But the Lakers have traditionally built around a big man and have already expressed their preference for one of the draft's top two bigs.
In a recent interview with ESPN's Colin Cowherd, general manager Mitch Kupchak said:
There is no doubt that the game that is being played today is very different than the game that was played 8-10 years ago. It's the three point shot, the drive and kick... Now the teams that have great success still have centers... So you still need size in this league. You need a rim protector, a guy to take space, a guy to run an offense through.
It's wise not to believe too much of what you hear from NBA personnel this time of year, so don't completely rule out Russell or Mudiay just yet, but let's first take a look at the two big fellas and how'd they would fit in LA.
Jahlil Okafor
Strengths
Excellent back-to-the-basket scorer. Okafor's post game is more evolved than any big man in the draft since Tim Duncan. He has a great feel for how to use his big body and score on the blocks. He has great feet and can score over either shoulder. Good passer. Okafor faced a lot of double-teams at Duke and has no issues finding open teammates on the...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
