NBA Draft 2011: Nolan Smith and 15 Best Options for the Los Angeles Lakers
Most teams would love to be in the the Los Angeles Lakers' position with four second-round picks in the 2011 NBA Draft.
The Lakers aren't most teams.
In a draft that is weak in talent to say the least, it is unlikely that the Lakers will find a future superstar or even a consistent starter with one of their second round picks.
Barring a big free agency pick up or a blockbuster trade, Los Angeles' core will remain in tact with Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.
However, as seen in the Dallas Mavericks playoff series, the Lakers can certainly get better in the draft, weather by trading into the first round or by picking the best value players with their second round picks.
Los Angeles can really draft any position, but they especially need youth in their backcourt and depth in their front court.
Here are 15 options for the Los Angeles Lakers to consider in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Pick 41: Norris Cole, Senior PG, Cleveland State
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Cleveland State's Norris Cole is one of the best mid-level point guards in the 2011 NBA Draft.
As Derek Fisher continues to age and his career continues to decline, the Lakers need to get a young point guard, who will be able to be the Lakers floor general into the future.
Despite the lack of "superstar" potential in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft prospects, there are a good amount of players, especially point guards, who can offer enough output to make an impact. Cole is one of those players.
Norris Cole will not be a Derrick Rose or Chris Paul in the NBA, but he would be a great piece for the Lakers.
He is a system guy. He can defend, pass, shoot, is intelligent enough to run an offense, and won't commit many turnovers—something characteristic of most young point guards.
Cole doesn't do anything great, but he has a very efficient and effective all-around game.
Many mock drafts have Cole being taken in the late first or early second round, which means he might not be available to L.A. with the 41st pick.
However, Cole has been running under the radar since his college days and he might just slip all the way to the Lakers first pick. If that's the case, Los Angeles should absolutely take him.
Pick 41: Shelvin Mack, Junior PG, Butler
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Probably the biggest void the Los Angeles Lakers had in their offense this year was their inability to make outside shots.
Signing players like Steve Blake and even Matt Barnes was supposed to address that problem, but both players played under their potential and the Lakers continued to lack an outside shooting threat the whole season.
Being one of the best shooters in the draft, Shelvin Mack can certainly fill that void.
The Lakers' offense works inside out. Bynum, Gasol and even Bryant often do the majority of their work on the block or in the paint, which often causes the defense to sink.
A player like Shelvin Mack would force the floor to stay spread because defenders would need to respect his shooting.
Mack may not be a guard of the future for L.A., but he would fill a pressing need.
Pick 41: Nolan Smith, Senior PG, Duke
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The Lakers need a player like Nolan Smith in order to defend the very young and talented point guards in the NBA.
As much as Derek Fisher has brought to the Lakers franchise, one thing he has never been able to do is defend some of the young guards in the NBA.
Laker's fans saw this against Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets in the first round and even against J.J. Barea in the second round in this year's playoffs.
Drafting Nolan Smith not only gives the Lakers another perimeter defender, but it also gives them a true point guard who will be able to effectively distribute the ball to Bryant, Gasol, Bynum and company.
Pick 46: Greg Smith, Sophomore C, Fresno State
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At 6'10" and 253 pounds, Greg Smith would give the Lakers the ability to sit Bynum without going small and without "getting older."
The Lakers' two backup Centers are Joe Smith and The Ratliff. The two big men are 35 and 38 respectively and saw very little playing time this season.
Last season, L.A. would put Gasol at Center and move Odom to the power forward when Bynum came out of the game. By adding Smith, the Lakers could have a big lineup even with Bynum out of the game with Gasol at the four, Odom at the three and Smith at the Five.
Not only does this allow Los Angeles to keep their size advantage, but it also makes them better defensively because Gasol would no longer have to guard physical centers.
Smith wouldn't get many minutes with the Lakers, but he would be able to get the most out of the minutes he is given.
Pick 46. Trey Thompkins, Junior PF, Georgia
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Like Greg Smith, Trey Thompkins is the type of player that could help the Lakers with their depth issues in the front court.
Last year's second round pick for the Lakers, Derrick Caracter, hasn't developed the way L.A. had hoped he would, which has placed extra pressure on their big men to stay healthy and out of foul trouble.
Thompkins could alleviate some of those pressures and provide Los Angeles with outside shooting from another big man—a skill-set that Odom and Gasol both possess.
Not only can Thompkins shoot, but he can also rebound, and block shots, something that NBA teams are always looking for.
Pick 46: Jimmy Butler, Senior SF, Marquette
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Who knows what the Lakers will do this offseason with Ron Artest and Matt Barnes?
The two small forwards were shaky all year long.
Ron Artest seemed to lose his ability to be a lock down defender and his shooting was anything but reliable.
Matt Barnes displayed many of these same problems as well as continuing to be an on-the-court liability.
Marquette's Jimmy Butler could give the Lakers all the good that these two small forwards offer, without bringing any of the negative.
Not only does Butler rebound and defend with the best prospects in the draft, he also possesses the ability to shoot the ball from midge range and outside.
Pick 56: Scotty Hopson, Junior SG, Tennessee
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With Kobe Bryant aging and Shannon Brown entering free agency, the Lakers are in need of a shooting guard like Scotty Hopson.
As Bryant's minutes continue to decline, Los Angeles will continue to rely more and more on their bench to provide scoring, especially from the shooting guard position.
Scotty Hopson could help the Lakers in that area.
One of the most athletic wing men in the draft, Hopson possesses a lot of offensive skills and if Shannon Brown leaves L.A., he can provide the spark off the bench that we saw from Brown all year long.
Learning from one of the greatest shooting guards of all-time in Kobe Bryant, Hopson would likely see tremendous improvement in his game as well.
Pick 56: Cory Joseph, Freshman PG, Texas
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The Lakers can use their 56th pick to select Cory Joseph depending on what they do with their first two second-round picks.
Joseph, who is one of the younger point guards in the draft could provide the Lakers with something they haven't had in recent history: A scoring point guard.
He would certainly not be one of the primary options for L.A., but he would be able to provide a scoring threat from the point guard position off the bench.
Steve Blake, the current back up point guard, is really only a passer who can hit an occasional outside jump shot. Granted, the Lakers aren't looking for scoring out of Blake, but when Gasol and Bryant are both out of the game, the Lakers lack a perimeter scorer.
Pick 56: Keith Benson, Senior C, Oakland
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Keith Benson is coming into the 2011 NBA Draft as one of the most underrated big men available.
At 6'11", he has excellent size, which he combines with an outside shot.
Although less developed, Benson provides many of the same skills that Pau Gasol currently offers and he's a better athlete.
Also, despite Benson's strength and size, weighing only 217 pounds, he has the ability to defend perimeter big men, which is something Gasol has never been able to do.
At pick No. 56, Benson would be a steal.
Pick 58: Andrew Goudelock, Senior SG, College of Charleston
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If the Lakers do not draft a shooter in with their first three picks, Andrew Goudelock would be great a selection here.
Goudelock has been said to have "Jimmer Fredette-like" shooting range and his numbers would support that claim.
In his four years with the College of Charleston, Goudelock shot over 40 percent from three point range three times, failing to do it his junior year with an average of 39 percent.
Again with defenses continuing to sag in the paint against the post players on the Lakers, a legitimate outside shooting threat would provide much needed help.
Pick 58: Jereme Richmond, Freshman SF, Illinois
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Jereme Richmond is the perfect bench player.
He is an extremely athletic and versatile wing player, who at 6'7" can legitimately defend three to four positions on the floor.
He is an excellent rebounder, a solid mid-range shooter and he can jump out of the building.
Richmond would allow the Lakers a utility player of sorts, who they can sub in for nearly every position on the court.
With a great motor and an exciting array of talents, Richmond would give L.A. great production in the limited minutes he would see in a game.
Pick 58: Malcolm Thomas, Senior PF, San Diego State
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Another defender that can guard a team's best bench player is Malcolm Thomas.
Although undersized for an NBA power forward, Thomas is a perfect player to put in the game when the other team goes "small."
Not only can he defend the smaller power forwards around the league, but he can also provide a mismatch on the offensive end.
Thomas wouldn't give the Lakers 10 points a game, but would be capable of coming up with a clutch rebound or momentum swinging block.
Trade Up to Draft: Marshon Brooks, Senior SG, Providence
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In the 2011 NBA Draft a second round pick can provide value for a team, but if the Lakers want to get a player who can be an impact player in the future, they will need to trade into the first round.
In order to get into the first round, the Lakers will either need to trade one of their mid-level players, one of their four second round picks, or pay up to three million dollars to a team picking in the first round.
The Chicago Bulls and the Dallas Mavericks would be two teams that the Lakers could possibly trade up with, but those certainly aren't the only teams.
No matter which team L.A. chooses to deal with, one of the players they should go after is Marshon Brooks.
The third best shooting guard in the draft according to most big boards, Brooks has probably the most scoring potential at the NBA level of any player in the draft.
A young guard like Brooks playing behind a future hall of famer could potentially give L.A. a player to hold the shooting guard position into the future.
Trade Up to Draft: Darius Morris, Sophomore PG, Michigan
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Projected by many mock drafts to be drafted by the Houston Rockets at No. 23, Darius Morris would be worth trading up for.
Unlike most players who are selected in the second round, Morris has a couple of elite level skills.
He is a great defender who will be able to defend many of the great guards in the NBA - a skill that presents a lot of value to the Lakers.
In addition to his defensive skills, Morris also possesses great court vision, which makes him a great point guard prospect.
Morris averaged 15 points, four rebounds and seven assists in his final season at Michigan, proving that court vision and defending aren't the only things he does well.
Trade Up to Draft: Reggie Jackson, Junior PG, Boston College
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Reggie Jackson isn't the traditional point guard. At 6'3", he possesses good height for a point guard, but has an abnormal wingspan of 7'0".
His length makes him a good rebounder for a point guard and his quickness makes him a good scorer.
In 2010 he averaged over 18 points per game and added almost five rebounds a game.
The Lakers got good production from Derek Fisher for so many years and now that he is on the way out, a player like Jackson would give L.A. someone who can offer similar production.
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