Don’t Forget About the Draft

The lingering effects of the championship victory still have me so drunk on euphoria that I nearly forgot that the NBA draft is less than a week away.  When you have the next to last pick in the first round, there isn’t as much fanfare, but that doesn’t mean a diamond can’t be found in the rough.

The Lakers have two choices given the state of their roster and salary cap situation and those options carry very different philosophical options, but both are predicated on whether or not the Lakers are willing to spend money on their pick this year.  If they are willing to spend, then it is imperative that they get a rookie who can make contributions right away, otherwise they are paying the luxury tax penalty for no real reason and that means taking a guy who has already come close to maxing out his potential.  If they want to reduce their financial burden, the Lakers would be well advised to look internationally for a player with big upside but who can also spend at least one more year overseas working on his game on someone else’s dime.  With that in mind, here is a list of some of the prospects who should be atop the Lakers’ draft board.

Low-Ceiling but NBA Ready:

• Sam Young – One of the names associated early on with the Lakers’ is Pitt’s Young.  A fourth-year senior, Young should be ready to contribute right away as a combo-forward.  Essentially he is like a more athletic version of Luke Walton only with better post moves and less range on his jumper.  Young is still learning to play small forward, but at age 24 is one of the more NBA-ready prospects in the draft, though his age limits his potential.
• Darren Collison – It wouldn’t be a Laker draft if they weren’t linked to a UCLA player and this year’s Bruin du jour is Darren Collison.  Typically, Phil Jackson prefers big guards, so the fact that Collison is barely six feet tall and skinny could scare him off.  On the other hand, Collison is a super-quick defensive ace at the point, making him a nice alternative to Derek Fisher.  He’s become a great shooter with a high basketball IQ as well and thus is the kind of guy the Lakers could use right away.

• Patrick Mills – The Lakers have had luck with streaky shooting point guards from small schools before, so St. Mary’s Mills is getting a lot of attention as a possible Laker pick.  Mills’ biggest knock is that he is more of a scoring point than a playmaker, but that wouldn’t be a problem in the triangle.  What Mills definitely does have is bravado which was on full display when he led Team Australia with impressive play in the Olympics.  If the Lakers think he can defend at the NBA level, he would be a nice fit.
• Marcus Thornton – One thing the Lakers haven’t had in awhile is a perimeter player that can provide instant offense off of the bench.  He’s a big-time shooter with a developing off-the-dribble game who put up several 30+ point games his senior year at LSU.  He’s also a solid defender and could eventually be a guy who makes Sasha Vujacic expendable.
• Taj Gibson – If the Lakers are going to let Lamar Odom walk, Gibson should be very high on their radar as he brings a lot of the same skills to the table.  Gibson can post-up, take his man off the dribble or bang a mid-range jumper.  He’s also a long, explosive athlete that allows him to be a real pest on defense, especially as a shot-blocker, even though he lacks bulk.  Since he is already 23, he won’t get much better, but he could easily slide into the Laker rotation right away.

High-Ceiling but Needs to Develop Internationally:

• Omri Casspi – Casspi is looking to be the first Israeli ever to be drafted in the first round.  Though he lacks strength, he is drawing comparisons to Andres Nocioni as a scrappy small forward.  He’s great going to the basket since he has good body control and nice handles for a guy his size.  If he can develop consistent range on his jumper, he could become a deadly offensive weapon.  The only issue is that he seems hellbent on coming to the NBA this year and may not be amenable to getting stashed away in the international leagues.



• Jonas Jerebko – This Swedish combo forward is a real project but with great potential as an inside-outside offensive threat.  He’s not quite as athletic, but he could turn into a poor man’s Lamar Odom in time and keeping him tucked away in Europe for a year or two shouldn’t be a problem.
• Nick Calathes – Calathes is a rarity in that he is an American college player but playing in Europe.  Calathes finished up his sophomore season at the University of Florida and made the bold decision to sign in the Greek professional league.  Since he is being paid well in Greece, he is in no rush to jump to the NBA, so the versatile 6′5″ guard can continue to work on his game.  What makes Calathes intriguing is that he has the ability to shoot the ball and play three different positions due to his size.  Some question his ability to guard faster point guards, but the Lakers would definitely be able to find a spot for him somewhere.



• Victor Claver – The best way to describe Claver is basically as a hard-nosed version of Vlad Radmanovic.   That seems like a great fit for the Lakers since more than a few media pundits thought the Space Cadet actually could have been of great use in the post-season.  Picking Claver this high might be a bit of a reach since he is coming off a broken leg, but the Lakers would likely keep him in Spain, so he’ll have plenty of time to get back to full health.

The Lakers do also have the option to trade their pick.  Moving up in the draft is not a real consideration at this point but selling the pick off for cash can’t be ruled out.  In fact, trading the pick for a million or so bucks would be a pretty good idea if they hope to bring back Odom and Ariza.  Since the triangle offense is so hard to learn, most rookies have no chance of playing for the Lakers right away no matter how polished they are.

We’ll be back next week with our recommendation on which of these nine players Mitch Kupchak should target in Thursday’s draft.

Tags: Darren Collison, Derek Fisher, Jonas Jerebko, Lamar Odom, Marcus Thornton, Mitch Kupchak, NBA Draft, Nick Calathes, Omri Casspi, Patrick Mills, Phil Jackson, Sam Young, Taj Gibson, Victor Claver