2011 NBA Mock Draft: LA Lakers Mock Draft, Including Projected Trade
The LA Lakers don't have a first round pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, but they do have four second-round picks. Nine times out of 10, a second-round pick won't be able to make the active roster on a powerhouse like the Lakers. In last year's draft though, Los Angeles hit big on both of their second-round picks as Devin Ebanks and Derrick Caracter each stood out in the Summer League and made the team.
With an already full roster, obviously not all of their second-round picks can make the team. That's exactly why the Lakers will reportedly add 2-guard prospects with their first two selections, and select two international players with their final two. With the Lakers current point guard situation and Shannon Brown opting out of his contract, whoever those guards end up being have a legitimate shot to make the final roster just like Ebanks and Caracter did last season.
Here is a 2011 Los Angeles Lakers mock draft along with a projected trade:
No. 41: Travis Leslie (SG, Georgia)
1 of 5The Lakers have had success in the past turning athletes into basketball players. Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown were bench warmers when they first came into the league, but they played meaningful minutes right away in LA.
With Shannon Brown to opt-out, the Lakers could replace one high flyer with another in Travis Leslie.
Leslie averaged 14.4 points a game at Georgia last year along with 7.2 boards. At 6'4" with a wingspan over 6'10", he has the length to play out on the wing. Leslie is a phenomenal athlete that really has the chance to turn into a lock down defender in the NBA.
His only problem is his shooting, but it's a big problem. First off, Ariza and Brown couldn't shoot at all early in their careers, but they worked on it and made significant improvements. Secondly, if all Leslie turns out to be is a designated defender/dunker a la Tony Allen, that's still great value in the second round.
No. 46: Andrew Goudelock (PG, Charleston)
2 of 5Yeah, I know every single fan in the entire NBA wants their team to draft this kid in the second round, but he actually fits the Lakers perfectly. He is a point guard, the Lakers' biggest need by far.
In the Dallas Mavericks series, the difference between the two offenses was pretty easy to see. The Mavs shot lights out from downtown while the Lakers were ice cold. As you can see, Goudelock has the potential to turn that weakness into a strength.
Last year for the Cougars, he averaged 23.7 points a game while shooting 40.7 percent from beyond the arc. He worked out with the Lakers back in late May.
He wouldn't be an automatic fix, but he definitely has the ability to be the spark off the bench that the Lakers have been missing for years.
No 56: Giorgi Shermadini (C, Georgia)
3 of 5No, Giorgi Shermadini isn't teammates with Travis Leslie. Shermadini is from the country of Georgia.
At 7'0", 250 pounds, he has the length to be a presence in the paint at the NBA level. For a man that massive, he's actually very skilled. He has three-point range and boasts the skill set of a typical international big man.
Believe it or not, his weakness is actually his strength. Get this kid in a weight room though, and he should have no problem putting on muscle with his frame.
Shermadini a project, but with nothing special behind Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom, he'd be worth the wait.
No. 58: Mindaugas Kuzminskas (SF, Lithuania)
4 of 5The Lakers' second international player has three-point shooting ability too; it's his specialty.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas is a deadly sharp shooter and is just an overall skilled player. The Lakers don't have a solid pure shooter on the entire roster right now. He has the talent to play in the NBA right away, but not the athleticism.
If Kuzminskas can get a little faster and a little stronger, he could be a very solid producer for the Lakers in the future. He has the ability to add a lot of weight at 6'7" with a 6'11" wingspan and 9'0" reach.
He's only 21 years old so he has plenty of time.
Trade: Lamar Odom for Raymond Felton
5 of 5For Lamar Odom?!
Fact: the Lakers will not win another championship with Derek Fisher as the starting point guard.
He just can't compete with Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, or any of the athletic young points in this league. Scratch that: any point guard in the league period. An upgrade this offseason is a must.
Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions have been mentioned as possibilities, but neither player could be the difference in bringing a title back to LA. Raymond Felton could.
He averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 assists a game when he started last season for the Knicks. The Lakers haven't had that type of production from the point guard position since before the turn of the century.
Yes, Lamar Odom had one of the best years of his career last season and won Sixth Man of the Year, but he didn't live up to that award in the playoffs. He's a talented player, but he can be replaced.
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
