One of the more intriguing and controversial prospects heading into the draft was former Washington big man Robert Upshaw. The big man is undoubtedly talented, but also a player who went through more than his fair share of adversity by being suspended multiple times for marijuana use, ultimately being dismissed from two schools (Washington and […]
Draft
Lakers Draft Larry Nance Jr. with #27 Pick
There were a lot of options on the board when the Lakers were on the clock with the #27 pick. Several of the players we looked at in our series of options to be selected with those late picks, in fact. But with the pick, the Lakers went in a direction no one saw coming […]
Lakers’ Draft D’Angelo Russell with the #2 Pick
In the weeks leading into the draft, it almost seemed like a foregone conclusion the Lakers would select whichever big man the Minnesota Timberwolves did not select. This was presumed to be Duke’s Jahlil Okafor as Karl Anthony Towns began to solidify himself as the top player on most GM’s draft boards. As time passed, […]
Final Pre-Draft Thoughts
The NBA Draft is finally here and it seems as though the whirlwind is only intensifying. Whether we’re talking about who the Lakers may draft, whether there are trades to be made, what may happen in free agency, and how the latter two items may affect the former, it seems the only thing we know […]
Time to Trade Up
This is the inaugural post from new contributor Caleb Cottrell. Caleb is currently a student at Indiana Wesleyan University, where he plays tennis. In his own words: “I enjoy torturing myself by trying to get into the minds of the Lakers front office. You can also find my work at HawksHoop, and can tell me […]
Is D’Angelo Russell Worth the #2 Pick?
When watching today’s the NBA, it is hard to escape the idea that the league is moving more and more towards perimeter oriented attacks. The pick and roll is now a primary action of most offenses and teams are valuing spacing and three point shooting more than ever. The Warriors just won the championship featuring […]
Speculation Ramps Up on the Lakers and Kristaps Porzingis
There may be no bigger time of information misdirection (i.e. lies) than in the week plus ahead of the NBA draft. This is the period where strategic leaks, the up-talking and downplaying of prospects, and spin takes full form from all sides. Be it front offices, “league sources”, agents, or “those close to” the players, […]
More Potential Prospects for the Lakers’ Later Picks
Erez Buki is a long time reader and commenter under the handle P. Ami. Heading to live in the Bay Area this summer, Erez has had the pleasure of following the Lakers while growing up during the Showtime era in LA, seeing first hand what great team basketball looks like when played by the greatest players. […]
On Jahlil Okafor, the Prospect We Love to Pick Apart
I’m not a big Star Trek guy, but I remember watching this old “The Next Generation” episode where Scotty ended up in some time warp and found himself on the new version Enterprise. In one of the scenes he was talking to the ship’s engineer (Geordie LaForge) who was working on a report for Captain […]
On Karl Anthony Towns, the Prospect I Covet Most
In the lead up to the NBA Draft on June 25th, we will look at several prospects who might be available when the Lakers make their selections. We have already looked at potential prospects for the team’s later picks, but today we zoom up to the top of the draft with a look at Karl […]