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

3. Jordan Bell, PF, Oregon

This pick would again bang the drum of defensive versatility but to an even larger degree. If Bam Adebayo has all of the tools to be a great defender, Jordan Bell has taken those tools and already become a great defender, perhaps the best in the draft.

Bell stepped in at center for the Ducks after starter Chris Boucher went down in the PAC-12 tournament, and turned into a blocking machine. He was everywhere on the court defensively throughout the NCAA Tournament, propelling the 3-seeded Ducks to the Final Four.

While succeeding defensively in the NBA requires a certain frame and talent level, the best defenders have instinct. Bell isn’t the tallest or longest big in the draft, but his instincts are off the charts. He times his jumps perfectly, not wasting energy or time as he alters shots or straight-up blocks them. He stuffed eight shots during their Elite Eight victory over the Kansas Jayhawks.

Bell applies that same instinct to rebounding, especially on the offensive glass. He finds the right angle against opposing bigs and leaps at the exact moment to rip down the board or tap it back into the hoop. His soft hands help him with put-backs and his own shots, laying the ball up against the glass or catching lob passes for dunks.

The reason Jordan Bell could be available for the Lakers at 28 is that he lacks offensive polish, with little-to-no range or diversity to his skill-set. He has limited passing vision, turns the ball over, and cannot space the floor. Defensively he often relies on his jumping ability to secure rebounds instead of boxing his man out – a tendency that will get him killed at the next level.

But many of those things can be taught, or at least mitigated, and his defensive intangibles are truly off the charts. Bell could step in and be an impact defender from the jump, and the Lakers desperately need impact defenders. If he continues to improve as a player, that impact would only grow.