5 2015 Draft Prospects Los Angeles Lakers Should Keep Their Eye on This Season
With the Los Angeles Lakers announcing they expect Kobe Bryant to miss the remainder of the year, it's officially time to let go of the 2015 season and look ahead to June's draft.
The Lakers are currently on track to keep their top-five protected first-rounder. They hold the league's fourth-worst record and appear to have no means of leapfrogging any of the teams ahead of them.
That means—barring an absolute catastrophe—L.A. will be picking somewhere in the top five and can scout the top-tier prospects in the college and international ranks accordingly.
One other thing the Lakers have going for them is they need help at virtually every position. They don't have to make a sub-optimal pick to fill a need because everything is a need. They can focus on selecting the best overall player on the board.
Let's take a look at five prospects L.A. will be watching with earnest over the next few months.
Jahlil Okafor
1 of 5
What's not to love about Okafor?
The Duke Blue Devil has been college basketball's top player by any standard, and scouts everywhere are impressed. He currently sits atop Draft Express' rankings as well as ESPN.com's Chad Ford's Big Board.
Okafor's polished post game hearkens back to the days of big-man dominance. As Ford put it, "You just don't find guys like that every day. Maybe once a decade."
He's averaging 19 and nine on 67 percent shooting to go along with 1.6 blocks in just under 30 minutes per game. His efficiency thus far has been off the charts.
At his current pace, nobody is snatching the No. 1 spot away from Okafor. He's the consensus top guy. If the Lakers win the lottery, they will have the privilege of selecting their center of the future.
A starting front line of Okafor and 2014 first-rounder Julius Randle could become one of the best in the game in a few years' time.
Emmanuel Mudiay
2 of 5
Mudiay is the consensus top guard in the draft, ranking second overall according to both Draft Express and Chad Ford.
He fits the bill of the new-wave NBA point guard—long and rangy with explosive athleticism.
Mudiay passed up college ball to play professionally for a year in China. He got off to a flying start, putting up a 19-7-6 line for his Chinese club before sitting down with an ankle injury. He hasn't gotten back on the court since.
The speculation is he did enough to tantalize scouts and can now prep for the draft with a top-five slot secured instead of risking injury or a drop in his stock by playing again.
The Lakers certainly need help in the backcourt. Mudiay would be an excellent fit at either guard spot, and L.A. can experiment with him in different looks to ascertain where he would slot in best.
Karl-Anthony Towns
3 of 5
Currently sitting in third for both Draft Express and Chad Ford is Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Kentucky freshman has an exciting mix of skills for his position, blending an excellent shooting touch and range with clever passing and a good handle.
His playing time has been depressed as a result of Kentucky's deep rotation, but he has excelled when on the court.
Towns swats 2.6 shots per game despite playing less than 20 minutes a night. His pace adjusted stats per 40 minutes have him putting up 14 and 12 with more than four blocks.
It's tough to find an NBA comparison for Towns. The closest Ford and ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton could come up with was a taller Al Horford. If that is truly the point to which his skills can develop, he would be a prize for any team.
The Lakers could really use a rim protector after two seasons in a row of watching opponents own the paint. Towns could come in and do that job right away, while also developing a killer offensive game.
He will be in the mix for L.A. in the top five.
D'Angelo Russell
4 of 5
D'Angelo Russell is rising on draft boards everywhere. Draft Express has him fourth overall, with Chad Ford ranking him sixth on his Big Board.
Russell has been incredibly productive for Ohio State, averaging a 19-5-5 line on efficient shooting from the field (47 percent) and from deep (45 percent).
The lefty guard has the tools to play either backcourt position, and his game has drawn comparisons to another offensively dominant southpaw, according to Ford.
"I think he could be a James Harden-type player at the next level," one GM told [Ford] about Russell. "That's what kind of scorer and playmaker he could be."
With all the praise the bearded wonder is garnering for his brilliance in Houston this season, teams will be clamoring for a chance to draft the next Harden.
The Lakers will be one of those teams. If they settle on taking a guard and Mudiay is off the board, Russell would be a nice consolation prize.
Kevon Looney
5 of 5
One guy the Lakers can watch in their own backyard is UCLA's Kevon Looney.
The lanky freshman is putting up a double-double on the season, showing off his elite rebounding capability.
Scouts see him more as a 3 rather than a 4 in the pros, but he has the versatility to play either forward spot as well as defensive chops to guard even more positions. He's the rare player who is averaging more than a steal and a block a night.
Looney is by no means a finished product. He needs to add strength and toughness to his frame, as well as improve his three-point stroke, especially if hes going to transition to playing the 3 full time in the NBA.
Still, the upside is tremendous, and UCLA might not be getting the most out of him, sources tell Ford.
"I saw him in practice and the kid does so much more than he's really allowed to do on the court," one scout said. "The more you see him in practice, the more you know there's more there than he's showing in games right now."
If the Lakers want to bolster their wing, Looney has the potential to be an elite two-way force one day.
