Here are the players we drafted last night. The Lakers only had 4 second round picks and those selections rarely make a roster, but we didn't fill any needs. Darius Morris - Shot 25% from 3-point range Andrew Goudelock - He has crazy range on his shot, but plays no defense, undersized for a two-guard and has an offer to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. I liked his comments after the Lakers selected him. He's ready to "kill it" Ater Majok - I watched youtube videos of him last night, seems like a nice kid, but he is the definition of a "project." Lacks athleticism and doesn't have an NBA body to play in the front court. Chukwudiebere Maduabum (traded to Denver for future 2nd round pick) I would have preferred Charles Jenkins and Isiah Thomas Jr.
I like the picks and I think they make damn good sense. Morris is a true PG. Not a good shooter or defender, but damn good court vision. I don't think he's going to be anything spectacular but he's definitely got a shot at stealing PT from Fish and Blake. I really like the pick of Goudeluck. The guy can shoot the ball. We need that in the worst way. I think he'll carve himself out a nice role on this team off the bench next year. Who cares if he is undersized? We need shooting and we got it. If this team actually does run out of the post like Brown wants to do, he can be a key asset for us.
If the Lakers are going to play with an emphasis of pounding the ball in the paint Morris is a horrible option to run the offense. Defenses are going to cheat off him until he can prove he can shoot the 3-ball with some consistency. I like his size and ability to finish in traffic, but it remains to be seen how that translates at the NBA level. He's not very athletic and has average lateral speed which hurts him on the defensive end. He was a locker room cancer and the more I read on this guy he reminds me of Smush Parker. Someone who thinks they are better than they actually are. I like the shooting range of Goudeluck, but can he shoot that efficiently coming off the bench and getting limited touches? He was the main guy on his college team and it's hard to transition into being a role player getting 6 to 8 minutes a game in garbage time if you're lucky. His lack of size is going to hurt him on the defensive end. I do like his moxie and I hope he is successful, but the odds are against him.
Just from watching his draft night interviews, I can tell Morris is full of himself. He really seems to be really arrogant. I don't think that is going to translate well with the vets. As for Goudeluck, who says he'll only get 6-8 MPG? This isn't Phil Jackson's team anymore. Goudeluck should have every opportunity to win minutes during the pre-season and training camp. If he can provide scoring off the bench, then he should be able to slip right into the 7th or 8th role. Some projections have him as a Jason Terry type of player. I'll take it. We need scoring off the bench in the worst way.
