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The Los Angeles Lakers were represented very well by head coach Byron Scott at the NBA Draft lottery, and ended up with the second overall pick. It is huge for the future of their franchise, especially with Kobe Bryant beginning to talk about the 2015-16 season potentially being his last.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are widely expected to be the top two picks in the draft, but the Lakers need to go with a different prospect.
Looking into the future, the Lakers have one player in this draft that they must draft with the second pick. Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell has all of the tools to become something special at the next level. Los Angeles has a need at the point guard position, and he also has the dynamic ability to be the next star for the Lakers when Bryant does decide to retire.
During his freshman season with the Buckeyes, Russell ended up averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He also shot 44.9 percent from the field overall and 41.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
Jordan Clarkson did take the Lakers and their fans by surprise this season, and could end up being the point guard of the future. That being said, a backcourt of Russell and Clarkson combined after Bryant retires would be ideal. Russell has the type of scoring ability that a team can build around, and that is the main reason the Lakers need to bring him on board.
Obviously either Towns or Okafor would be big pickups for the Lakers as well, but Russell offers the Lakers the type of skill-set that they need.
At 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, Russell has the size to be an NBA shooting guard. That would likely be his long-term position, although he could end up starting at point guard during his rookie season. Bringing either Clarkson or Russell off the bench wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Lakers, and they would both get big minutes as well throughout the season.
Bryant has always been the type of player who is open to mentoring players who want to get better. Russell has a hunger to be the best that Bryant would respect, and Kobe could very well take Russell under his wing and mentor him.
Needless to say, the Lakers can’t go wrong with taking anyone with the second overall pick. They are all going to end up being good players, but the big picture shows that the Lakers will need a dynamic scorer. Julius Randle will come back next season at full health and help fill the front-court void, while Russell would be an immediate scoring threat.
It is going to be very intriguing to see what the Lakers end up deciding to do with the second overall pick. They desperately needed some luck to help get their franchise back on track after two incredibly disappointing seasons, and this is a huge step in that direction.
Expect to see the Lakers strongly consider Russell as the draft process gets underway. He is an extremely talented guard who can play either position, and has the potential to become a superstar in the NBA. Bryant’s career is quickly coming to an end, and the Lakers have to figure out who his replacement is going to be.
Russell has all of the tools to be the replacement that they are looking for, and the Lakers need to take him in the draft.
Evan Massey is the Green Bay Packers beat writer for www.RantSports.com, and also contributes across the NFL, MLB and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
