And the 2015 NBA draft is officially in the books. Welcome in to a brief post recap of the Lakers' 2015 NBA draft. Usually, I'd just post as the draft rolls on, but sometimes it's good to try a little something new. So the Lakers didn't make any crazy trade. They kept all their picks and drafted the best player on their board. Let's take a look at the draft picks and I'll give a final word.
Round 1 Pick 2: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State, PG
Highlights:
*Highlights/Tape courtesy of DraftExpress*
Comment: There was a house divided on whether the Lakers should use the number 2 overall pick to select Jahlil Okafor or this kid in D'Angelo Russell. Personally, I was on board with taking Okafor as I feel that the Lakers needed a big man, but understandably so, the NBA is a guard-driven league and the Lakers have to see the likes of Curry, Paul, Westbrook, Lillard, in the West. So why not go with the flow as well? What I see from Russell is that the guy can flat out score and facilitate. He can play on the ball and off of it. What stood out to me about Russell is his pick and roll play as he's able to split the opposing defense with ease and make a quick decision whether to score or to pass as well as his transition game to stop and pop a shot or find a guy in transition. Based on the video above, he's excels more in the transition game. The Lakers already invested in Clarkson and they like his potential, but it's clear that he's not designated to be the star point guard of the future, but he's still a viable piece. With Kobe Bryant's career coming to an end, Russell and Clarkson could be the back court for years to come. It's going to be interesting to see the pick and roll game with him and Julius Randle given that Randle's best attribute is finishing at the rim. Also with this pick, the Lakers seem confident that they will land a star big man through the free agency. Overall, it wasn't a bad pick. Seeing D'Angelo Russell for me was last minute since I was contempt on Okafor. You can't go wrong with either, but the majority says Russell was the better prospect of the two so I will roll with it.
Round 1 Pick 27: Larry Nance, Jr. Wyoming, PF
Highlights:
*Highlights courtesy of North Dallas*
Comment: The son of Larry Nance Sr., the player who gave Dr. J a run for his money in the first ever dunk contest. He can dunk just like his dad too! At this point of the first round, all the major talent is taken and teams are just looking for value picks and the Lakers believed they uncovered a gem in Larry Nance, Jr. Usually, players coming from bloodlines of NBA legends don't work out too well, but Nance, Jr. fills a need for a big man that can fight for easy baskets and defend. Reading his page, he was regarded as the best big man in the Mountain West Conference and has the accolades to back up his defensively being DPOY and being All-Defensive Team in the conference. Not only can he score inside, but he has a decent range from the outside. The one knock is that many analysts projected him to be a late 2nd round pick and this pick was considered a reach by some, but he has impressed in his workouts to raise his draft stock. In my opinion, he's likely going to be a bench player to spare Randle. He was taken on the fly considering the front court of the Lakers is at a huge uncertainty right now.
Round 2 Pick 34: Anthony Brown, Stanford, SF
Highlights:
*Highlights courtesy of Draft Express*
Comment: I've looked at some full mock drafts for the Lakers and I've seen this Anthony Brown fella go to the Lakers with their 27th pick. For him to still be on the board for the Lakers at 34th overall in the 2nd round is considered a steal. As noted in the video above, this guy can shoot. He shot a career 41% from beyond the arc during his tenure in Stanford. The Lakers got a player who can space the floor so when D'Angelo Russell splits the defense, that leaves Brown open for a high percentage shot from long range. He also has defensive upside given his size and his wing span. If he continues to develop defensively, he'll prove to be a disruption for guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Carmelo Anthony, most of the best SFs in the league right now. That is a big "if." If he pans out, that's the 2nd year in a row the Lakers struck gold in the 2nd round.
Conclusion
It wasn't a draft that most Laker fans including myself weren't expecting, but you can't go wrong with this surprise plan B that Mitch Kupchak has created.At this point, the Lakers gotta have some core pieces in there so that they have a life after the Kobe Bryant era. They addressed that by drafting D'Angelo Russell. Would've it been nice to draft Jahlil Okafor? It would, but history shows that the Lakers have more success when they acquire an established big man through a trade or free agency. If free agency goes the way it is planned with the route the Lakers took in this draft, the sky is the limit for the rebuilding process. I'll see you guys later.
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