Los Angeles Lakers: 5 options for pick No. 28 in 2017 NBA Draft

5. Sindarius Thornwell, SG, South Carolina

Julius Randle. Jordan Clarkson. D’Angelo Russell. Brandon Ingram. The current young core of the Los Angeles Lakers holds at least one thing in common: They are currently terrible on defense. Adding in a player such as Lonzo Ball will only multiply the issue. While Ingram in particular projects to be a plus defender, this team is building an offensive force that cannot stop anyone on the other end.

Enter a player such as Sindarius Thornwell, one of the NCAA Tournament’s sudden-stars. The leading scorer for the South Carolina Gamecocks, Thornwell was also their best defensive player. With the size and strength to fight with any wing player, he could be a lockdown piece off the bench for the Lakers.

The reason Thornwell is projected to fall to the second round despite his tournament run and defensive chops is the offensive side of the ball. The senior wing can handle the ball well, but his methods of going from dribble to shot – be that a jumper or a drive – seem destined to fail at the next level. He will no longer have a size and strength advantage on those players guarding him, and NBA rotations are at a much higher level than the SEC.

Thornwell will never be a strong offensive piece, but if he can build his three-pointer into a consistent weapon then he becomes exactly the type of player a team needs in its arsenal, a 3-and-D wing to throw out on the other team’s best scorer. With the offensive firepower the Lakers are assembling, they can afford to give up something on that end to get a plus defender.

If the Lakers believe he can improve the requisite areas of his offensive game, they should pull the trigger at 28. But they need to do their homework to ensure confidence in his development because in today’s NBA, a non-factor offensively will become a non-factor rotationally in the playoffs.