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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 options for pick No. 2 in 2017 NBA Draft

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket past Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) in the second half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket past Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) in the second half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers
Mar 23, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Josh Jackson (11) controls the ball at the net during the first half against the Purdue Boilermakers in the semifinals of the midwest Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Josh Jackson, SF, Kansas

Jackson looks to have settled in as the consensus third-best prospect in this year’s draft class. Jackson has slid in right behind Fultz and Ball, who are expected to go No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2017 NBA Draft. If the Lakers shake that up, Jackson could be the reason why.

Jackson did not take part in the NBA Draft Combine, but that will not impact his draft stock. If he is not selected by the Lakers, there is little chance he falls below the Phoenix Suns at No. 4. Jackson comes with some off-court baggage, as he will have to attend anger management classes from an incident at Kansas. On the court though, there are few things to worry about.

Whoever selects Jackson will be getting a great defender right off the bat. Jackson is a very competitive wing player that has excellent athleticism. That enables him to be a strong defender, but he is no slouch on offense.

He needs to continue working on the consistency of his jump shot, but right now he is a great slasher. His high basketball IQ makes him a strong prospect on both ends of the court as a defender and working off the ball offensively.

Jackson has a lot of versatility in his game. He played a lot of power forward at Kansas, but will probably start his career at small forward. Shooting guard, depending on the scheme, should be doable as well as he has the athleticism to stick with smaller opponents. That versatility will be something coaching staffs would love to have at their disposal.

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