Los Angeles Lakers: Should They Take Emmanuel Mudiay?

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Feb 21, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) is defended by Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports /

Emmanuel Mudiay Has A Superstar Ceiling

Even with the lack of extensive tape on Emmanuel Mudiay, it’s clear he possess traits that make him a potential superstar.

I mean, you don’t get projected as a top-five pick for nothing, right?

DraftExpress is a phenomenal draft resource — one that you should certainly bookmark this offseason if you’re a Lakers fan — and they provide plenty of YouTube video of Mudiay’s play. They note his main strengths as his physical tools and ability in the transition game, and are certainly more qualified to provide a full scouting report on the player than I am.

Looking through their scouting videos, I quickly aligned my thinking of Emmanuel Mudiay with those who project him as a point guard in the mold of Derrick Rose; though I’m not sure he’s on his level athletically before the knee injuries.

Mudiay excels in transition, and looks like the perfect fit in today’s NBA. He uses his athleticism to get to push the pace — whether that means finishing the play himself or finding an open teammate.

MVP Derrick Rose used his lightning speed to achieve this — a gear that few human beings have, including Mudiay.

But sprinter’s speed isn’t a prerequisite for dominating in transition as much as finishing ability and smart passing are. The combination is essential to have in the “Pace-And-Space” era.

Driving with the mindset to dish out to teammates makes it even more deadly when the point guard decides to push the ball with the intention to score.

Mudiay has more than enough athleticism to make that style of play work, even if he can’t match the top-end speed of pre-injury Derrick Rose.

He also has nifty enough of moves to get to the rim in the half-court, and is strong enough to finish on the inside. His ability to get points as a slasher should allow him to be a big-time contributor as he works on a complementary jump shot.

Mudiay has also been compared to John Wall, and NBA.com lists his medium-case turnout as Tyreke Evans. The Evans comparison makes a ton of sense, given Mudiay’s powerful frame (6’5”, 200 pounds according to RealGM) and slashing ability.

The fact of the matter is that the Lakers would take a player with any of those outcomes; whether it be Derrick Rose, John Wall or Tyreke Evans.

Acquiring talent — and it’s clear that Mudiay can compete with anybody in this draft on pure athletic talent — is the No. 1 priority for the Lakers this draft.

But even if he’s on the same level talent-wise with other prospects the Lakers are considering, where does he fit?

Next: Too Much Of A Good Thing?

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