The Lakers simply can't afford to miss on this pick given their lack of overall assets, and with that in mind, Arizona forward Aaron Gordon should be the player the Lakers home in on for draft day.
As it currently stands, the Lakers should be in pretty solid position to select Gordon without any additional maneuvering. It seems likely that at least two power forwards should come off the board before Gordon does (Jabari Parker, Noah Vonleh and Julius Randle), and based solely on team needs, the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics don't particularly have to have another big man at the 4.
That's good news for the Lakers, because Gordon will almost certainly be the best player available on the board at No. 7, and it's an added bonus that he fills a big need for the Lakers.
As it stands right now, the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Robert Sacre on guaranteed contracts for the upcoming season. That obviously leaves a rather large hole to be filled.
And although he's incredibly young and somewhat unpolished, Gordon is the type of player who can make positive contributions right away. His main strength is a sorely needed one for an aging backcourt: defense.
Gordon isn't your typical big man in that he's a lengthy rim protector who can swat away shots. While Gordon can get up and contest, for sure, he's most effective defensively covering the pick-and-roll and switching to smaller perimeter players.
Gordon has a lot in common in that sense with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green. He can hold his own in the post and defend without fouling, but he can also cover multiple positions incredibly well and move laterally at a frightening speed for someone his size.
While some of the other fo...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
