Yes, the lead up to this was brutal. Sitting there watching the theatrics and built-in drama of the event was, well, not how I wanted to spend my time. I’d have honestly preferred to have been able to fast-forward this entire day with someone telling me the results just now.
Yet, there I was watching it all unfold. Like a kid reading one of those choose you own adventure novels, I was wondering if when I “turned to page X” it was going to be some unmitigated disaster or if some better, glorious fate awaited.
Turns out, the wait was well worth it. The Lakers not only keep their lottery pick, but they move up to the 2nd spot overall, sitting behind the Timberwolves and leapfrogging the Knicks and the 76ers in the process.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
So, now we know. The Lakers will not only keep their pick, but be able to choose from all but one prospect come next month’s draft. Now, the question is, what will the Lakers do with that opportunity? Thrilled to say we get to find out.
R says
Ko: “hope is alive”
Wow, yes.
Aynatix says
YESS!
Treylake says
Towns or Okafor is a huge step towards return to championship caliber. #2 pick, Kobe, Randle and max contract salary space will make dynamic july roster acquisitions possible.
KenOak says
Hell YEAH! Okafor or Towns!?? Are you kidding me!!!
Evan says
Kobe, Randle, Clarkson, a Top 2 pick plus a late first and 2nd rounder, a nice chunk of cap space, and some solid role players? We are looking goooood.
Lawrence says
We just went into “we can’t lose” territory with this pick. I’m actually more interested in the late round pick.
mud says
it’s nice!
Aaron says
The Lakers might really actually have the first pick. Anyone they select before the draft they will order not to workout for Minny and he will have no problem obliging. The Lakers will be choosing between Towns and Mudiay I am guessing. Those two are the stand out talents.
barry_g says
first off, thank goodness the sixers’ dream scenario of #1, #6 and #11 didn’t come true; i would’ve been totally happy w/ any pick in the top five, so the lakers leapfrogging the tanking sixers was just icing on the cake. thank you, bball gods!! today was a good day.
KenOak says
I can’t believe how giddy I am! Now, I can’t wait for the season to start! 🙂
pat oslon says
The basketball gods smiled upon Laker Land tonight!
lil pau says
Okay, the first obstacle is behind us….
Now someone needs to make it clear to Jim Buss that if Minn drafts Okafor, we want Karl Anthony Townes, not Karl Ove Knausgaard nor Townes Van Zandt. If Minny instead drafts Townes, we absolutely do not want to accidentally draft Emeka Okafor.
So long as that’s straight, we should be primed for an excellent 2015-16 season!
Congratulations, all!
Aaron says
Don’t worry FB&G… I will be studying video tonight of the top ten talents and letting you know who I think are the top two players in the draft. Right now I think it’s Towns and Mudiay.
And like clockwork…
Posted at May 19, 2015 at 6:17 PM on Twitter
“If Karl-Anthony Towns is determined to get to Lakers, it’ll be interesting to see how agreeable his camp will be to meeting with Minnesota.
Rubenowski says
Illuminati confirmed.
drew says
I was really worried for a second, thanks Aaron
Aaron says
Sorry tweet got cut off…
Adrian Wojnarowski
Adrian Wojnarowski – Verified account ?@WojYahooNBA
If Karl-Anthony Towns is determined to get to Lakers, it’ll be interesting to see how agreeable his camp will be to meeting with Minnesota.
KenOak says
It would be pretty funny if both Okafor and Towns tried to outdo each other with shunning Minnesota. Give me Towns unless somehow we land a dominant 7-footer in FA.
Daniel says
Finally something good happened…my top 3 are Towns, Russell, and Mudiay. Not thrilled with Okafor, as we already have one undersized frontcourt player in Randle. I thought Russell was great in the tourney, plus you always got to love a smooth lefty. Mudiay I do not know much about, but hear his athleticism is off the charts. Interested to hear aaron’s take on the top guys
BigCitySid says
– I’m a happy man. Congrats fellow Laker fans…today is a good day.
Ed says
At his point,I don`t think the Lakers know which guy they prefer until they come in for workouts and interviews. They only went with Randle after he came in for individual work and measurements. Once they make a decision,I would be surprised if they didn`t get their #1 man.
CATS8884 says
Russell is being highly overhyped IMO, the guy was pretty below average against top 60 NCAA teams. I can find the statistics I read but shooting less than 35% FG and even lower from 3 doesn’t scream top 3 pick.
I’m partial to Towns being the pick for LA since I’m a UK fan but after watching him all year I can tell you this, Calipari never allowed the guy to showcase his true skills. If he had gone to another school he would have averaged 20 and 10, but sharing minutes on the stupid platoon system really stifled his statistics.
AusPhil says
Leaning Towns on what you can glean from NCAA highlights, but as has been said, it’ll come down to workouts.
Nice to be excited about the NBA again! It’s been a rough few seasons hasn’t it?
R says
The lakers are getting a big man – niiiiice.
R says
Towns and Wiggens’ll be a good tandem for Minny …..
Shaun says
Darius – can we talk about prospective trade down partners and targets for both the #2 and where we can package 27 amd 34?
I think most will agree that okafor is not a match given randle but he obviously has value and we need a bunch of parts and Mitch has already stated that he doesnt think they will keep all 3 picks
I think a trade like what chicago did with denver last year (mcdermot for harris and nukic) is a big possibilty
Anon says
Wow. Great news! Can’t wait for Darius’ analysis on prospects. Looking good!
barty says
What’s this? Good news? It’s been so long I forgot.
Huge thumb up on the Kane gif 🙂
JD says
A couple of thoughts on this one. My first is that I’m ecstatic. Second is that we can’t go wrong with either Okafor or Towns. Furthermore, fit is not for consideration. It’s imperative we take the best player available. Okafor/Towns coupled with Randle and Clarkson in addition to cap room is a good way to get back into the mix. It’s been reported that Minnesota prefers Okafor, in that case Towns will look good in forum blue and gold. If its Okafor then that is fine. I was banking on us keeping the pick, but this is much more than that. Like I said, ecstatic.
rubenowski says
Suddenly we look like a great destination for free agents. We are gonna have a great young core. Next year should be lots of fun to watch…even if we are far from the playoffs.
Mansa says
I wany Towns for sure, but does anyone think we may try to trade the pick for a proven player? Possibly Cousins?
Honestly, if Minny takes Towns, then they may want to think long and hard about trading the pick for a proven player. If Minny takes Okafor, then I would want to keep Towns. I really wouldn’t be upset either way, but I’m sure they are considering all options.
Mid-Wilshire says
Excellent news. Congratulations, Lakers Nation.
Although I expect that there will be wild speculation over the next 5 weeks as to whom the Lakers will (and will not) choose, I strongly suspect that it will all come down to this: the Lakers will be choosing their center of the future on June 25. If I were a betting man, I would say that Minnesota will go for Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s a true rim protector who plays above the rim more than any other player in the draft (except, perhaps, for his team mate, Willie Trill Cauley-Stein) and has an enormous upside that is simply unmatched by any other prospect. He is, however, a bit of a project.
Jahlil Okafor will probably be the Lakers pick at #2. Now, don’t recoil, Laker fans. Okafor would be a superb pick by any measure. He’s slipped, primarily, because of some questions about his defense. But reports of his defensive liabilities are, I think, somewhat exaggerated. He did, after all, average 1.4 blocks and .8 steals per game as a freshman. He’s only bound to improve.
These are the stats on Okafor:
6.10.75 (in shoes)
272 lbs.
7’5 wingspan (all measurements are from the 2014 Nike Hopps Summit)
Birthday: 12/15/1995
17.3 ppg
66.4% FG
8.3 rpg
1.3 apg
1.4 blocks per game
.8 steals per game
51% FTs
2.5 TOs per game
30.1 minutes per game
Below is Michael Visenberg’s analysis (4/3/2015) from NBAdraft.net:
“With his size, post repertoire and instincts close to the basket, should be a really difficult match-up, even at the next level…His defense is seen as a weakness, though has size and with increased effort, could at least end up not being a liability…Hard to see many centers stopping him if he continues to progress, even without explosive athleticism, he moves like a ballerina in the post and seems to find ways to create shots…Will be tougher to establish post position in the NBA, but not many guys are going to be as strong as this young big man…Looks to immediately become one of the more difficult centers to defend in the league and someone a team will be quite happy to have as their man in the middle.”
Anonymous says
Let me channel what Robert will say: 2nd pick sounds good, but blah blah blah blah Jim Buss blah blah blah nepotism blah blah blah Phil Jackson blah blah blah Jim Buss will blow it blah blah blah. And, championships blah blah blah rings blah blah blah. Finally, someone’s comment will be quoted out of context. The end.
R says
I insist they keep this lovely #2 pick.
I will magnanimously allow Mitch to package #27 and/or #34 for something wonderful.
Aaron says
The only thing our late first rounder and second rounder will do for us is let us trade Youngs contract along with them.
Todd says
Congrats to the Lakers!
This is a huge lift for the organization. It was important to get another young building block and the fates allowed it to happen. I echo the comment to keep the pick. I want Towns and hope he falls to us.
Looking forward to analysis and discussion of the draft going forward.
grumpy says
I agree with JD that with the state the Lakers are in, they must pick the best player available whether that’s Towns or Okafor. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with either of them.
I’m also a little surprised why everyone is so down on Okafor. First off, he is not undersized. If you were watching the draft lottery, Okafor looked taller and bigger than Towns. While you can’t teach quickness, if Okafor loses some weight (he was playing at 270 and could drop a few pounds), I can see him playing decent defense as he has nice length and just needs to learn to use it.
Obviously both players have their positives and negatives, but it just seems all of Okafor’s flaws are being overblown and dissected to a microscopic degree. Hard to believe for a guy who was rated as the number 1 prospect for most of the year.
drrayeye says
These will certainly be interesting times. Just wait until the rumors start flying.
There are so many possibilities.
Khj says
Let me be the first to say this. Justice Windslow will be the best player in this draft! His game already has few weaknesses. He has a body like Lebron and goes to the basket like Harden. He has a good step-back move and outside shoot. He will be unstoppable in NBA. He is a lock down defender like Lenard. I don’t care what the experts are saying, this is who the Lakers should choose!
P. Ami says
grumpy, the issue with Okafor isn’t his size. He doesn’t position himself well to protect the paint and has struggled defensively against other NBA level bigs. He just isn’t a natural rim protector and its hard to say he will ever develop into one, particularly as he is not an explosive jumper. Another issue with Okafor is that his offensive game is in the post. He can handle pretty well and passes very well but if you have another player in the paint (Randal) then things get clogged up in there and limits penetration as well.
If Randal moves to the 3 and can operate from the top of the key etc… that is a different story. We still would need a rim protector at the 4 but at least Randal’s move to the 3 opens that possibility up. Towns is a rim protector and has a more diverse offensive game. He passes well, he works in the post, is an 80% shooter at the line and looks like he has the mobility to develop into a player that uses the whole court. So, IMO he is a far better prospect. After Towns I like Mudiay and I would like a better look at the Euros coming in.
Is it too much to hope that the Lakers have a competitive season in 2016, develop their young guys, pick up some good long term FAs, send Kobe off properly and then win a top 3-pick from the 12 spot in the lottery?
Chris J says
Having read quite a bit about Okafor and his being something of a savant on the box, his size is less of a concern to me. Olajuwon was 6’10 but he dominated for years. Height isn’t everything if a guy can play.
As to talk of trading it for Boogie, don’t discount the value of having a guy on a rookie deal vs. paying someone who’s getting extension money. If a good vet would put them over the top, maybe. But they’re a long way from contention. I’d prefer they drafted well and let guys develop before they go trade happy, especially not really knowing what Randle can be. (I am high on him, however.)
Weird that the T’Wolves, barring a trade, would have three consecutive No. 1 choices on their roster next season. And they could easily miss the playoffs, regardless.
Aaron says
Chris J,
So right and so wrong in one post. Impressive 🙂 Okafor is a ” “terrible” athlete. Hakeem was great because he was one of the best athletes in the history of the world and because of that was one of the best defensive players in NBA history.
Your point on guys on rookie deals though is spectacular. Teams that win are ones that sign players in free agency instead of trading for them. With guys top picks on rookie deals the Lakers will have three to four max contracts to hand out and plenty of top guys with their hands out. Durant, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis I’m sure wouldn’t mind playing for the Lakers with Randle, Towns, and Clarkson on rookie deals. And hey… What if we get a top three pick next year? But I’ll lay off the tank talk until after the draft 🙂
bryan S. says
The name of the game is versatility. Okafor is a center that is only effective in the post. In case you haven’t been paying attention, these guys are almost extinct. He has poor lateral quickness. He isn’t much of a shot blocker. In contrast, Towns can play in the post, shoot it out to the three line, back to the basket or facing, Is an excellent shot blocker, runs the floor better, has excellent lateral quickness and can play the four or five. Lakers will hope for Towns, and if they are lucky enough to draft him, they will keep him–probably. If the Lakers can flip either of these guys for the unhappy DeMarcus Cousins, they will do it. Cousins is the best center in the league and a top five player. Another possibility is if the Lakers can get a commitment from either Gasol or DeAndre Jordan, they can send the pick for elite wing help and considerations to a team like Chicago (Butler and Mirotic). Point is, the Lakers have lots of options and will explore every avenue to grab talent.
Yes indeed! Here’s to an exciting rebuild/retool!
Oldtimer says
Congratulations to Jim Buss, Mitch and Byron for a new day. O or T, you can’t go wrong plus 27th and 34th. Keep all the picks and buy some more 2nd d/p’s. (edited for trade speculation)
lakerade says
Yay!
Chris J says
Aaron — I never said Okafor was a good athlete, nor did I even mention his athletic ability, good or bad. I merely said don’t judge a low post player by his size alone. There are other factors, hence my words “if a guy can play.”
Truth be told, I didn’t watch any college basketball last season so I don’t have an opinion of who the Lakers should draft. I just feel the “don’t consider a guy because he’s not tall enough” argument isn’t always a good argument. That’s the extent of my point.
grumpy says
bryan S, you make good points, but I don’t buy that there’s only one way to win. As many have stated, the NBA is copycat’s league and what might work for a few teams is quickly adopted by others. Back to the basket centers can still be valuable contributors.
But we can agree that this will indeed be an exciting rebuild! Go Lakers!
Darius, I know it’s still pretty early in the draft process, but I would love to hear your thoughts on some of the top prospects.
ertroy says
First of…WOOOOOOOW! And that doesnt begin to describe it. We actually have a post season high!
Couldnt have dreamed of this scenario. However how bad does Karl Towns and/or Okafor wanna be a Laker?
For those of you who aint excited about settling for Okafor; remember the only centres we’ve had last couple of seasons were Robert Sacre and an overpaid Jordan Hill!
grumpy says
P. Ami, I can agree that Okafor has not shown well on the defensive end. And I don’t think he’s ever going to be an elite rim protector. However, after watching some video on him, a lot of his defensive deficiencies are effort related as well as not understanding what position he needs to be in. With the right tutelage, these can be improved. I will admit that his lack of lateral quickness is the most concerning part, especially guarding the pick and roll. That said, my personal feeling is that he needs to drop weight and this will help alleviate, though not completely mask, this concern. He does have great wingspan and is very strong, so he does have some tools to work with.
Regarding Randle, I understand where you’re coming from. If he could act as a power 3 like some here have been suggesting, then that obviously leaves the Lakers in a better spot fit-wise if they were to select Okafor. But as the Lakers are pretty lacking in the talent department at the moment, we should be taking the best player available and worry about fit later.
pat oslon says
Congrats to Coach Byron Scott for keeping his lottery hot-streak alive!
His lottery pick track record is :
2011 #1
2012 #4
2013 #1
2015 #2
He must have a rabbit’s foot under his folded arms (wink)
drew says
Yeah, it’s not the 90s any more, Randel should not play the 3. Even Phil knew enough not to put Lamar Odem at the 3 during his prime. How did the Josh Smith at the 3 thing work out for Detroit?
And last I checked, Cousins is a post player as is Duncan and Pau Gasol. If you have the talent, you can play a post type of game in today’s NBA
Robert says
Nice ! A very important day for the Lakers. This could buy Byron another couple years.
drew says
Aaron.
I’m pretty sure that with the exception of Miami (who had a top 10 player of all time in his prime), the last few champions didn’t sign their top pieces.
Spurs (draft), Lakers (trades), Celtics (trades), Mavs (trades), Pistons (trades) …
drew says
(oops, didn’t finish my thought, sorry to post so much)
… But I 100% agree that it’s going to take a few big pieces via free agency to get this team competitive. I trust in the lakers organization to make it happen.
The point though is trades have been a useful tool for teams that didn’t luck into an alltime great (signing or draft).
pat oslon says
“I told our guys earlier today that I had a real good feeling about tonight,” Lakers coach Byron Scott said. “I hope not to be back here anytime soon, but I’m happy the way things turned out tonight.” per NBA.com
bleedpurplegold says
This has to be the best day of the year for me 🙂
Hope we get towns in the draft, his upside is a top 10player…he already has a jumper and i think you could even expand his range out to the nba three point line with a nice summer of work….his d is impressive at times, he is a great rebounder and almost automatic from the line, so you cant foul him on the block and in the post, where he will be an unstoppable force in the league…i think towns will be a top5 center on a weak position right from the start…no need to trade him for cousins
If okafor is on the board, i would pass…he cant hit free throws, so opponents will hack him if he gets position to make his post moves, which is his greatest strenght, and he is a liability on d at best….i’d rather take JW, as khj suggests, because he seemingly has no weakness and can polish his game the next 2-3 years with kobes help…i also think winslow has the intangibles to become a leader and a closer
Many here talked about the lakers having max cap room. I think we should go out and try to get jimmy butler. Chicago has a track record of making some dubious decisions and unwillingness to pay their stars and role players. We should consider throwing the max at him and see what paxson does.
Dream scenario:
S5: Clarkson-bryant-butler-randle-towns
We would be right back in the playoff mix if this team stays healthy. Only thing you have to do is resign some of the guys from last year in lin and hill (at a cheaper price), add them to your 2 picks/kelly/young and you have your bench already in place 🙂
Wasnt that thrilled in a long time, we finally have options and can foresee a positive future for the franchise we all love so dearly 🙂
Reggie Hammond says
Terrific outcome that goes against the pattern of horrid luck experienced for the past 4 years…also great that last season, the worst in franchise history, wasn’t all for naught…I hope we pick up a big man & not a guard or wing
The Dane says
Rumour has it that Minny is taking Okafor.
Pair Towns with a signing of Carrol and Middleton, then we have a hard-nosed, young and athletic team.
anon says
Nice Citizen Kane gif. That’s the kind of high brow class I expect from this site!
tankyou says
I agree with those that think we need more than just young talent, but have to get some vet talent as well to actually turn this ship around. The Timberwolves are a great example of a time replete with #1 draft picks and 1st round draft talent. Yet even with yet another #1 Pick this year, they still might be 2-3 years away from even sniffing the playoffs in the west–let alone being a true contender.
I would take Wiggins over anyone in this years draft hand down. Watching Wiggins play he just oozes potential and athleticism and has already shown improvements. It looks like he can be an excellent shooter in the years to come, so the wolves may have arleady found their cornerstone. Yet Wiggins likely will take another couple seasons to make it to star status. (edited for trade speculation)
Free agency is the only way the team turns around quickly, otherwise we just have a lot of hope as the team still loses a lot. It’s nice to root for individual players that are young and talented but the losing is already irksome. I still see no possible way for the team to truly be a contender within 2 more years, unless we landed a Kevin Durant type player in 2016. But at least we have some building blocks rather than this BS where they just blow up the roster all the time. Get us a new coach, get rid of J.Hill/Swaggy, try and sign Ed Davis to a modest deal (4-5mill?) and dump Ronny Price, Sacre, don’t sign Boozer, and maybe just maybe snag one of this RFA’s that are nice–if a team gets cheap (please Bulls don’t max Jimmy Butler–he would look great in a Lakers Uni!)
david h says
So Darius, after a fresh set of depends last night; the voice in my head began to chant: OKA-A-FOR -MINN-A-SOTA.
Haven’t had such a good night’s sleep in weeks.
Go lakers
Mid-Wilshire says
Darius,
A suggestion: how about your initiating a conversation on the relative merits of the top prospects with a special focus on the pros and cons of choosing either Okafor or Towns? That might be good food for thought and would help focus the discussion a bit (which otherwise tends to be a little helter skelter).
Mike says
It’s wild how many people are such experts on how incredible Towns will be in relation to Okafor, or how weak Okafor will be as an athlete in the league. Neither guy turns 20 until after the season starts. The argument for Towns is solid, in that defensive mobile bigs are one of the most valuable and rarest commodities today.
But big time post scorers are even more rare, as there are only really 1 or 2 in the league… Cousins… not really sure who else. League goes in cycles of evolution as to talent and play styles. In 06, Phoenix ushered in the age of the stretch 4. Arond 2012, the league started moving from having NO good two-way playing small forwards, outside of Durant and Lebron, to ushering in a crop of guys like Paul George, Kawhi, Hayward, Parsons, Butler, etc.
Soon, some team with greater organizational competence than Sacramento is going to get a big time post scorer, like LA with Okafor, and after a couple years, they will figure out how to combine post-scoring into a 3 point heavy – open driving lane offense, and THEN everyone is going to want their own post scorer. But it will take 4-6 years before the AAU and college bigs start to model their games on inside post moves and the like. So, whoever has these guys will have the advantage. And if this comes to pass with LA and Okafor, then he’ll be the better pick.
Of course it could be Towns who is better. But college performance over 1 year has so much to do with surrounding cast and what role you are relegated into… look at Derrick Rose at Kentucky, or a dozen other examples. As far as discussing Olajuwon in relation to EITHER Towns or Okafor, he was a 4 year player in college, I think, and you can’t compare him at 21 to these guys at 19. Not saying that they’ll be as good as him. It’s doubtful just given the pinnacle which he reached. Just saying now is not a fair comparison.
Either big is a great move. Towns is the better draw by a ton IF they can get Love, because Love and Okafor are a tough defensive pairing, but otherwise, it could go either way.
Mike says
WINSLOW love-fest ?
One more thing, this love affair with Winslow is absurd. He’s a good player, and should translate to the NBA as a rotation guy, but comparing him to Okafor ? That’s incompetent. NO GM or owner in the league is considering that.
He’s a 6’4″ small forward who has no mid-range game. Exactly how does that project better value that a top 2-3 post scorer for the next decade ? How many 6’4″ small forwards make it and do well in today’s league ? I read someone above compared him to Lebron, which would be true if Lebron was 4 INCHES SHORTER, 40 POUNDS LESS, about 2 LEVELS worse as an athlete, ball handler, shooter and passer.
I just don’t see this guy having a solid double digit offense in the league. Stick with him on the 3 point line, and wait for him inside. That’s your scouting report. And as far as defense, sure he’s great at the college level. Now let’s see if he’s great when he’s going to be defending guys like Kevin Durant or LeBron, who are much bigger than him… as will also be true of Butler, Hayward, Parsons… and they’ll be getting better screens as well.
Okafor shot badly from the free throw line. Sure. But his shot is solid, he hit well from the field, and there’s no way you can compare him to a Dwight or DeAndre as a ball handler or shooter. He’s FAR, FAR beyond them as a shooter and post scorer NOW. Much less what he’ll be in 2-3 years. He’ll definitely shoot at LEAST 60% from the line which destroys the hack a shaq tactic. You have to shoot under 52-53% for it to have any chance of working.
Oh, and Winslow shot 64% from free throw, which is terrible for a SF. Of course his numbers should go up too, but we aren’t talking about a Klay Thompson, or Durant or Paul George shooter here.
Towns and Okafor. Those are the top 2. It’s a steep drop after that.. though Russell’s ceiling is enough to make it conceivable for him to be in the mix, at least for a team like Philly, who already has Embiid, Noel, and will be getting Saric.
Vasheed says
I’m not so much against Okafor as I am having Okafor and Randle together. At least one of those 2 positions should be a good shot blocker. If the Lakers were bent on keeping Randle I would either want Towns or trade down for WCS.
I have a strong preference for getting a big but I believe Russel would be a good choice. He would pair well with Clarkson but that would mean landing a guy like Gasol or Jordan would become critical and not guaranteed.
Aaron says
Chris J,
My apologies 🙂 But great point about rebuilding young teams trading for players nonetheless. When you can sign players for “free” it’s better to wait and sign them instead of trading young players for them (Melo/Knicks).
Re Okafor:
The problem with him is you can’t have a bad defender at center. You just can’t. At least not if you want to win. Also I don’t think he will be able to score in the post in the NBA. It’s not his height or length it’s his lack of quickness and explosiveness. He is very coordinated for sure. But that alone won’t get it done against NBA centers.
Aaron says
Mike,
Everyone wants a post scorer because that only helps you make and take a lot of threes. The problem is it’s always hard to find a low,post scoring big man especially now and especially with the zone defense rules.
Renato Afonso says
I wrote a big post about the potencial a team has when picking a player with the low post skills of Okafor…
Anonymous says
If Towns freezes out the Wolves and refuses to work out for them could that result in them feeling better about Okafor — and letting Towns slip to the Lakers?
Aaron says
Great news…the lakers are as smart as Aaron…. They have Towns and Mudiay as the top two players in the draft as well…
“Both big men would be gladly accepted by fans of the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, it’s no guarantee that the Lakers would want one of the bigs as there has been reports that the team prefers point guard Emmanuel Mudiay over Okafor. If Towns is there at number two, however, that is a different story”
Mid-Wilshire says
Renato,
I can hardly wait to read your post. I was about to write and ask you for your views. Unlike the rest of us, you’ve actually played this game and coached it. I’ve always valued your views.
So…Okafor vs. Towns. What are your thoughts?
Hale says
If Towns gets nabbed, hire a P.I. to see if Larry Sanders is getting his head right.
George says
Anonymous: If Towns freezes out the Wolves and refuses to work out for them could that result in them feeling better about Okafor — and letting Towns slip to the Lakers?
___
I know this has been done with players that were selected lower in the draft (say on the 20s), but I can’t ever remember it being done with the 1st overall selection in the NBA draft.
I would think the Wolves would call his bluff and take him anyways if that was the guy they wanted. Of course, there is also the possibility that Wolves management gets peeved with Towns and then trades the pick to another team rather than let him fall to the Lakers.
I recall John Elway being successful at controlling his draft destiny. For those too young, Elway was the consensus #1 pick in the 1984 NFL draft. John publically stated that he didn’t want to play in Baltimore and forced the Colts to trade the #1 pick. Elway eventually went to the Broncos and the rest is history.
T. Rogers says
I’m glad the Lakers finally got something to break in their favor. Between now and draft day there will be six million articles, podcasts, etc. about who should be drafted where. Still I just don’t see how they can pass on either Towns or Okafor. The Lakers will still need to round out their roster. I’m still crossing my fingers on Jimmy Butler. A scoring big in the post is a net positive no matter how you look at it.
Calvin Chang says
Towns or Okafor. Towns has a body-type similar to Andrew Bynum. He’s fast and a great rim-protecting big. Okafor’s defense needs work, but he’s like a Tim Duncan on offense – has all the fundamental moves in the post and will command double-teams. It’s a luxury to have a big you can dump the ball to in the post and get a high-percentage shot or draw double-teams.
Calvin Chang says
If Lakers get Okafor, I’d explore trading Randle and something for Embiid. Or sign Tyson Chandler for a big, but short-term contract. Okafor is a PF. Need a rim-protecting C. Other rim protectors that may be worth checking out for low-ball price are Larry Sanders, Hibbert or Javale.
Calvin Chang says
Looks like the FO’s stealth tank plans have paid off. Lakers can improve a lot next season if Kobe remains healthy. The downside of that is watching a team like the Knicks end up with class-A mutant Ben Simmons in the 2016 draft.
BigCitySid says
– If the Lakers secure and start DEVELOPING enough good young talent for next season (think Townsend, Randle, Clarkson, and a free agent) they can have a successful season w/o necessarily making or going anywhere in the post-season. Then in 2016-17 w/ Kobe off the books, a new coach plus a new and friendlier salary cap (2 top tier free agents)…we can once again start having serious conversations about #17
–
Mike says
Aaron – The quote you cited does NOT support your claim that they have Mudiay over Okafor. It merely speculates that they might consider it. At the end of the day, it NEVER happens that they draft Mudiay at # 2. Even draft and trade would’t work, as Philly will take Russell, and NY would definitely trade # 4 and considerations for Okafor, but they have NOTHING to offer.
It’s wild that you are so down on Okafor as a defender at age 19. Cousins was worse coming in, and he’s been a powerhouse. Pekovic does fine. You just generally need to pair a guy like that with a skinnier shot blocker type who can cover pick and rolls… but, it’s still WAY PREMATURE to suggest that a 19 year old who just won the national championship, is a legit 6’10.5″ with a 7’5″ reach is going to be a subpar NBA defender.
Where do you get that from ? He’s going to be impossible to score over, and while he might not be able to step out on pick and rolls, there are a lot of centers who can’t either… moreover, other teams will have to field SOMEONE who can guard him. You think Okafor will be struggling 3-4 years in to guard guys like DeAndre or Dwight Howard or Robin Lopez or Pekovic or Vucevic or … nah.
He’s got an elite IQ AND elite size. He’s lost 20 pounds and is STILL not yet the product of an NBA weight training and conditioning regime, nor several regular seasons or training camps. You want to throw in the towel that he’ll be able to defend the post ? Fine. But the BEST TWO BIG MAN DEFENDERS IN THE LEAGUE are Bogut and Marc Gasol, and Okafor is AT LEAST as big and as athletic as they are, or were at his age. Size, reach and intelligence and drive are the four biggest attributes needed to become a solid post defender. Athleticism is 5th, as we see when comparing Bogut and Gasol to DeAndre, or even Dwight.
As for Mudiay… what have we seen from him ? What does he bring that is so exceptional ? Because I haven’t seen that 6’5″ combo guard who bullies his way to the basket who is tearing up the league. Russ Westbrook kind of fits, but he’s a top 2-3 athlete in the league, which is something Mudiay has in no way suggested that he will be, AND Russ is an exceptional ball handler and skill player. Mudiay has some similarities, but it’s a long, long, longshot he will pan out like Russ, and if he can’t, then his next likely plateau is Tyreke Evans.
Oh, and by the way, he’s TERRIBLE to pair next to Clarkson. You need veteran poise, playmaking, superior shooting, and, importantly, a very economical use of ball handling, in order to develop Clarkson. You put two ball handling, herky, jerky penetrators together, and you are courting time-proven failure in both terms of team success and talent development.
R says
I highly doubt that Towns will be so eager to connive his way to LA vs. pairing up with Wiggins and Rubio in Minny. Has anybody heard anything to suggest this, or is this mere Lakers exceptionalism?
Dude’s 19 right? I doubt the glorious history of our favorite team will matter much to him, although the women of LA might be a draw.
However, he can still live in LA in the off season, wherever he plays, right?
A different R. says
R: Towns has no leverage and won’t make it an issue. But, he for sure would rather be in Hollywood, hanging out with the entertainment elite, a killer pad by the beach, tons more money in endorsements (yes, the contracts go up when you’re in a major market), over being in an ice-cold tiny town in the middle of nowhere where the locals use tunnels to get around for 4-6 months of the season.
The fact that Minnesota has traditionally had one of the worst management records and LA one of the best, as well as winning histories, is only extra icing on the case.
But who cares ? He has NO leverage. No player in years has pulled a Steve Francis-Danny Ferry type deal.