The Los Angeles Lakers made a very surprising move when they drafted Larry Nance Jr. at the end of the first round. He was projected to go late in the second round, and there were plenty of bigger names still available. The Lakers believe in Nance’s ability, as he has excellent potential and performed very well in workouts. But the team had other options available to them, and could have waited to pick him later in the draft if they really wanted him.

RJ Hunter, Kevon Looney, and Montrezl Harrell were three players still available when it was the Lakers’ turn to draft. Hunter would have been a very good fit, as he is a good shooter with unlimited range and has the length to develop into an adequate defender. The team needs depth on the perimeter, especially if they hope to keep Kobe Bryant fresh for most of the season.

While the team already seems to have plenty of tweener power forward types, Looney and Harrell were lottery talents that would have been great value picks that late in the first round. Looney needs time to get healthy, but he is a strong rebounder with a lot of potential. Harrell is undersized like Julius Randle, but his wingspan and strength allows him to be the perfect role player, and he would be great with the second unit. He plays with energy and passion, and has the athleticism to be very good on defense, especially with so many teams resorting to small ball late in games.

Nance could be an effective and exciting player, as he is an above the rim finisher who has the tools to be an elite defensive prospect. He is versatile enough to cover some of the taller small forwards, but must add weight if he is to compete on the block. Offensively he is already a good passer for someone his size, but must work on other areas of his game. If he can improve on his outside shooting, then he could become more valuable to the Lakers.

Nance certainly has the potential to be a quality player in the league, and he could eventually be a good fit for the team. But there were several very good options still available to the team, and it was likely that he still would have been there in the second round when the Lakers were up again. He was a reach with a first round pick, and the Lakers might regret taking him so early.