How Los Angeles Lakers' Future Changes with the No. 2 Pick in 2015 NBA Draft
For one glorious night, the bitter taste of the Los Angeles Lakers’ historically bad season was washed away with new hope for the future.
L.A. could have lost its protected top-five draft pick but instead watched as the ping pong balls bounced in its favor—the only team in the lottery to move up in the draft.
And for a magic moment, Laker Nation rejoiced.
It’s the kind of good fortune that can have a ripple effect on an organization’s future—choosing a franchise centerpiece like Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky or Jahlil Okafor from Duke could be an all-important first step that allows the rest of the chips to fall into place.
On the night of June 25, Los Angeles will only have to wait for the top-picking Minnesota Timberwolves before learning which of the two elite big men will still be available.
The second overall selection will then influence what the Lakers do with their Nos. 27 and 34 picks, and the draft in general will help guide the team’s moves through the remainder of the offseason and free agency. Jordan Hill's $9 million team option, for instance, is now on life support.
L.A.’s forward-looking rebuild won’t be completed right away. But one fortuitous lottery drawing can certainly change the future.
After the sweepstakes event, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak spoke with TWC SportsNet, expressing relief that “we caught a break.” Asked about the potential impact of a top-two pick, the veteran executive was predictably circumspect.
“I do think the draft is at least six-deep,” Kupchak said. "Having said that, you’ll know nothing until years down the road.”
Lakers coach Byron Scott, who had to sweat out the lottery on-camera as the team’s representative for the TV broadcast, was slightly less measured with his prediction after the results were revealed.
“Big-time night for us,” Scott said, per the team’s official Twitter feed. “I think this is obviously a step in the right direction for the franchise and the process of being back to where we know we should be in the next year or so.”
Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant, who was drafted six months after Okafor was born, offered a Mamba-esque reward rationale, per his own Twitter account.
And so the guessing games begin—who will be available at No. 2, and how will it affect the time continuum in Los Angeles?
Jahlil Okafor, Duke
If the Lakers select Okafor, they’ll get an NCAA champion and an NBA-ready game-changer. With exceptional footwork and an arsenal of spin moves and ambidextrous hook shots, the 19-year-old can make both an immediate and lasting impact—the type of player who has perennial All-Star written all over him.
Whether he’s chosen first or second in the draft doesn’t appear to concern him—Okafor just wants to go where he can accomplish the most.
“I don't know that I should go No. 1," Okafor told Sports Illustrated’s Maggie Gray. "I don't care. I just want to go to the right environment for me and the right team. I think the hype about No. 1 is more for the fans.”
The right environment may be out west. According to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, the elite prospect “reportedly wants to be picked by the L.A. Lakers.”
The bright lights and big stage of Los Angeles would be a perfect destination for an instant-offense center. It’s easy to imagine building around Okafor through free agency and trades—perhaps throwing big bucks at a hyper-athletic two-way wing who could help ameliorate the big man's lack of lateral quickness on the defensive end.
But Okafor’s lack of rim-protecting prowess also raises questions—such as how he would fit next to Julius Randle, who is also not known for that particular skill set.
The offensive end would likely offer a more effective partnership, with Okafor down on the block and Randle using his positional versatility to create off the dribble.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
Selecting Towns as the Lakers’ No. 2 pick brings an even more intriguing future prognosis. The Kentucky combo center/power forward has no lack of mobility on the defensive end—he corrals opposing ball-handlers, swats away shots and snags rebounds with abandon.
He also answers to his own harshest critic—a devil on his shoulder of an unusual sort. Nicole Auerbach of USA Today Sports wrote about the mini-me during March Madness:
"Karlito is Towns' imaginary friend, perched, invisibly, on his shoulder. His most important job? Handling all sorts of criticism. He doles it out — if Towns misses one free throw and posts an otherwise impressive stat line, that missed freebie is what Karlito will dwell on — and he also helps Towns endure any verbal assaults from Kentucky coach John Calipari — of which there are plenty.
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If Towns lands in Los Angeles, he’ll also have to deal with criticism from Scott and his tough-love ways. The rookie will also be absorbing advice from Bryant—a legendarily intense taskmaster with his teammates.
As Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding pointed out in a Team Stream video, the choice of which No. 2 would align best with No. 24 is clear-cut.
But there is also the 19-year-old's potential for synchronicity with other young Lakers stars in the making.
Towns’ offensive efficiency on the block paired with his paint-clogging defense would match well with fellow former Wildcat Randle, who likes to freelance a few feet further from the basket. Towns would also mesh perfectly with L.A.’s All-Rookie First Team point guard Jordan Clarkson—a slashing scorer with the ability to deliver lethal lob passes.
Ultimately, the choice between Okafor and Towns is one any front office would love to have. And for a team striving to return to greatness, either candidate would be an obvious cornerstone.
“It’s a great day for the Lakers and their fans,” ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy said, per Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. “We’re used to seeing them never have down years, and when they have had a down year in the past, they've immediately been able to solve their problem and get a Hall of Fame talent.”
The pairing of Okafor or Towns with Bryant as that five-time champion closes out his storybook career would open the door for quick results.
And while it is the longer road ahead that may lead back to the NBA Finals, what had previously been a drawn-out rebuild has certainly been jump-started.
This year’s No. 2 pick, along with Clarkson, Randle and cap flexibility, should result in brighter days ahead for a storied purple-and-gold franchise.
The Lakers' future just got a whole lot closer.
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