The Los Angeles Lakers are sure to be in the NBA Draft lottery, barring a historic turnaround. The team is currently the league’s fourth-worst team at 13-40. Rather than be a time of gloom and gray skies, all of the Lakers’ losing may end up helping their future. Protection on their top-five pick may keep it away from the Phoenix Suns.
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Assuredly, the team will continue to struggle without Kobe Bryant and more losses may pile up. Traditionally the team would be enjoying the spoils of championship victory during the summer, but losing Dwight Howard to free agency, injuries to stars, and coaching turnover have all changed their fortune.
As June approaches, the franchise has already started scouting potential prospects. You have to believe that the team is taking a look at every position on the roster outside of shooting guard, which Kobe will return to next season. This draft may end up providing the team with some long-term solutions at their shakiest position, point guard and center.
Look no further than the two players who have remained at the top of most draft boards in Jahlil Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay.
ESPN’s Chad Ford has revealed that both players are the team’s top targets:
"If they finish with the worst record in the league, Okafor is a slam dunk for them. Their best and only big man is Jordan Hill, and he’s a far cry from Okafor. For a team that has a long legacy of elite big men — from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Shaquille O’Neal to Andrew Bynum (OK, not so much Bynum) — the Lakers would love to have a young front line of Okafor and Julius Randle. Okafor’s closest competition I’m told is Mudiay, but it’s not that close right now.Fantasies about a Julius Randle and Jahlil Okafor combo are absolutely tantalizing. The team could re-create a frontline similar to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team whom has bred much success over the last few years. Securing arguably the best big men of the last two drafts can prove to be a great haul for the rebuilding Lakers. Okafor’s size and offensive prowess is well-above that of a college freshman, adding the wisdom of Duke University Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski only strengths his abilities. Okafor is putting 18 points and nine rebounds per game."
Emmanuel Mudiay is somewhat of a mystery due to his season playing for Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association. He’s been limited to 10 games due to injury and league regulation. Mudiay has still continued to prove himself as an athletic point guard with impressive size and vision as he did in his prep days.
Maybe the Lakers are planning a backcourt of Mudiay and Clarkson, which would be an interesting tandem given each player’s growth. Mudiay finished the season with averages of 17.7 points, nearly six assists and four rebounds per game. His season had solid stats for an 18-year-old in any professional league.
It’ll be hard for the Lakers to catch the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves for the league’s worst record. With several key players returning in Minnesota, such as Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin, the team could end up in the top three of the draft, guaranteeing the possession of their 2015 first-round selection.
Okafor will likely be gone, regardless of whether the Lakers finish second to fifth. Mudiay, on the other hand, may be a viable option.
The team definitely will be able to add an important component at their draft position, even if it’s not one of these players. You have Stanley Johnson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell all emerging as top prospects. Both Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak have to continue laying out a blueprint, because as talent is acquired, fortunes can easily change.
The Lord knows that the Lakers need all the change that they can get.