Los Angeles Lakers: First round guards to target in 2018 NBA Draft

De’Anthony Melton, SG — USC

This past season, the Lakers spent a lot of time and resources improving on the defensive end. It wasn’t all good, as a number of players occasionally displayed lethargic effort and intensity on that side of the floor. However, as this young group matures, the defense will only get better.

Why not speed up the process by drafting one of the more intriguing defensive-minded guards in the 2018 draft class? That’s exactly what they’d be getting in De’Anthony Melton.

Now don’t get me wrong — there are some definite negatives when looking at what Melton currently brings to the table. The former Trojan is small for a 2-guard at 6’3″ and 195 pounds, and isn’t a premier scorer. Melton is capable of putting the ball in the basket in many ways, but averaged a modest 8.3 points per game during his only year at USC.

Despite his lack of size, though, Melton was a plus rebounder for a guard (4.7 per game), displayed strong passing skills (3.5 assists per game) and possesses excellent basketball IQ. He reads his opposition well, makes smart, instinctive plays on the defensive end and plays with tenacity.

His shooting will absolutely need to improve if he’s going to excel in the NBA. However, if the Lakers are looking to upgrade the bench’s defense and add a high-energy player to the second unit, Melton is the man for the job.