I promised a breakdown of the players the Lakers should look to if they lost last night against the Celtics. Unfortunately the Lakers lost another close game and are on a four game losing streak. The Lakers' record is now at .500 and their schedule the rest of the way is brutal. The Lakers look lottery bound at this point. The Lakers will have four picks if they do not make the playoffs this year. BIGGEST NEEDS -- Point Guard & Power Forward <u>1st Round </u> If the Lakers become a lottery team they will keep their first round draft pick, that they traded to the Celtics in the Gary Payton deal. If the Lakers finish with the top record amongst the lottery teams they and the ping pong balls fall in place, the Lakers will draft in the 14th spot. The Lakers will have their own pick and also the Heat's first round draft pick from the Shaq deal. <u>Lottery</u> Best Case Scenario - Lakers receive a top 3 pick in the draft Worst Case Scenario - Lakers end up with the 14th pick in the lottery <u>Miami's Pick</u> Currently the 28th pick in the 1st Round <u>2nd Round</u> In the second round of the draft the Lakers receive their own pick, as well as the Atlanta pick via Charlotte in the Kareem Rush deal. <u>Charlottes' Pick</u> Currently the 32nd pick in the draft *(2nd pick in the 2nd Rnd) <u>Lakers' Pick</u> Currently the 44th pick in the draft *(14th pick in the 2nd Rnd) There's a breakdown of the draft picks the Lakers currently have and their current drafting positions. I'll reveal some players the Lakers should go after later on today. So who do you think the Lakers should draft?
Well, I still have faith that they will make the playoffs.... but the pick will be top 20. Luckily for the Lakers, this will probably be a PG heavy draft. I'm hoping they take a long look at either Raymond Felton or Jarret Jack (assuming they declare obviously) with their first pick... If that doesn't work out, with their late first round pick, there's a good chance Nate Robinson is available.... so, I'm confident the Lakers will land a good young PG this draft Even Mitch can't mess this up ..... right??
I would love Raymond Felton on the Lakers. He has good court vision and has the ability to score. I would love that. Scouting on Raymond Felton from www.draftcity.com <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Strenghts:</div><div class="quote_post"> 2003-2004: Always seems to know whether to pass or shoot; incredible ability to control the tempo and flow of the game; a true point guard (rare these days) who doesn?t average many points per game but is still considered a top player in the nation; great ball handler; solid mid range shooter; has ability to finish around the hoop when fouled but (see weaknesses); tenacious defender who gets a fair amount of steals and a surprising number of blocks; excellent court vision; good stamina; extremely accurate passer; very durable, tough, and strong; one of fastest guards in ACC; has displayed clutch tendencies; never loses focus during games or gets rattled by pressure; doesn?t let his teammates get away with slacking in general, but (see weaknesses).</div> <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Weaknesses:</div><div class="quote_post"> 2003-2004: Seems a little inconsistent sometimes (from game to game); occasionally tries to force the issue; isn?t as much of a team leader vocally as he should be while actually on the court; not as aggressive as he should be on offense in terms of attacking the basket, something he is doing less and less it seems; outside shot, while decent, needs to be developed in order for Felton to make any kind of scoring contribution on the next level; game hasn?t changed a whole lot for better since freshman year which could mean that he is already nearing his prime.</div> There is also: Sheldon Williams, Jon Gilchrist, Johan Petro, and of course Jarret Jack I think Sheldon would be nice here if he could develop a consisten Jumper. I love Gilchrist, but I don't know if he would be good here.
Dee Brown future Laker? So who do you think the Lakers should draft?[/QUOTE] Every time I see Illinois highlights, Dee Brown seems to jump off the screen as point guard. He plays great defense, steals, shoots 3's and has great confidence and leadership. I like him alot and he may be available for a couple of our picks either in the lottery or late first round.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting whatthef?:</div><div class="quote_post">So who do you think the Lakers should draft?</div> Every time I see Illinois highlights, Dee Brown seems to jump off the screen as point guard. He plays great defense, steals, shoots 3's and has great confidence and leadership. I like him alot and he may be available for a couple of our picks either in the lottery or late first round. [/QUOTE] I don't think Dee Brown is declaring this year. Also, Deron Williams runs the actual team, and Dee Brown benefits from those passes. I also like Dee Brown, but his size will be a liability in the NBA and I don't think he's what the Lakers need.
Here's a breakdown of Point Guards the Lakers should take a look at in the draft. Ideally Chris Paul would be the best option for the Lakers, but reallisticly the Lakers won't have a shot at getting him, and from the reports I've been reading, it's likely Chris Paul does not declare this year. Even if Chris Paul returns to Wake Forest, this year's draft will be point guard heavy. John Gilchrist - Maryland - 6'2 200lbs He has not ranked high on a lot of Mock Drafts, but I rank him as the second best guard in behind Chris Paul. Gilchrist's game is better suited for the pro level, which is probably why he's ranked late 1st round or early 2nd round in most mocks. He also had a mid-season slump this year, but he's still worthy of being a top prospect. What seperates Gilchrist from the rest of these point guards is his size. He already has an NBA ready body, and won't need a year or two to gain weight and strengthen himself before being effective. When he's focused Gilchrist is one of the best creators at the point guard position. He's also a great defender and a clutch shooter. He reminds me of a quicker, more athletic Chauncey Billups. Aaron Miles - Kansas - 6'1 175lbs He's not flashy, but Miles is consistent, fundamentally sound and all he does is win games. As a senior Miles has been the floor general for the Jayhawks. He leads his team in assists and is ranked 5th in the nation averaging 7.3 per game. This year Miles has expanded his game by improving his outside range. He is shooting over 50% from behind the arc and has maintained an outstanding assist to turnover ratio each year at Kansas. He understands his role on a team and is a star on defense. He reminds a lot of Chris Duhon. Neither are the most athletic or high scoring guards, but they do all the little things to help their ball club win. The Lakers have lacked a player with those qualities since Robert Horry left the team.
Gilchrist reminds me of Gilbert Arenas. If he can up his defensive game, he could be what the Lakers need, but with Lamar, Caron, and Kobe...eventually Gilchrist will want some shots...
