For the second consecutive season, the Lakers find themselves in position to draft an elite offensive big man who came into the season as the likely No. 1 overall pick. As the second-ranked player on most draft boards, the Duke Blue Devils' Jahlil Okafor could start next to Julius Randle for L.A. this fall.
Let's key in on Okafor and take a look at the pros and cons of the Lakers selecting the highly touted freshman center.
Pros
1. Size
Okafor has the size of a true center. He didn't make an appearance at the NBA Draft Combine, but his most recent measurements have him at 6'11" in shoes, with an impressive 7'5" wingspan and a 9'2.5" standing reach. Weighing in at around 270 pounds, he's an absolute behemoth on the block.
His measurables compare favorably to the other big men in the draft, particularly that wingspan, which would have been the third longest of anyone at the combine.
He also has massive hands that just smother the basketball. Fitting 13 tennis balls into your hand is no joke.
2. Skill
Despite his mammoth size, Okafor still has a highly refined skill set, which makes him even more intriguing.
Okafor is nimble on his feet, possesses excellent body control and can get out on the break, as well, where he averaged 1.47 points per 100 possessions, per DraftExpress.
He faced a lot of double-teams down on the block thanks to his low-post prowess and showed a superb ability to pass out of them and hit the open man. Not only did he display a high basketball IQ, he was an unselfish, willing mover of the ball.
The young center ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
