Kevin Jairaj – USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Lakers have several draft picks to work with in the upcoming draft, and will need to add quality players to help upgrade their roster. Last year they were fortunate enough to draft Jordan Clarkson, who had a very good rookie season and should be an important contributor moving forward. With an early second-round pick, the team will once again look to find a young player who can make a difference early on. The team needs to add athleticism on the perimeter, and Norman Powell is one player who the team should strongly consider.
Powell will likely be selected late in the first round or early in the second, and could be the type of player who the Lakers look to develop. He is extremely athletic, and has the look of a combo guard who can come off of the bench. Offensively he is very raw, and must improve his ball-handling and develop a more consistent shot. He is quick enough to get by defenders and explosiveness enough to finish in the open court, but may not be skilled enough to make a difference in the half-court early on. However, these are two skills that we have seen young players improve on with the right coaching and work ethic.
Defensively, Powell has a lot of potential and should be able to match up with either guard position. He has good length for his size, and is strong enough to compete with bigger players. He utilizes his athleticism to stay in front of players, and often times had to guard the opposing team’s best scorer in college. He has very good anticipation which should allow him to get plenty of steals in the league.
Powell has the ability to become a very good role-player, as well as a defensive specialist. His offensive game needs a lot of work, but if he still available in the second-round then the Lakers should strongly consider him. He could give them an explosive, athletic player in their backcourt with plenty of potential to improve.
