Scouting March Madness For Potential 2023 Lakers Draftees
Your 35-37 Los Angeles Lakers have had a fairly disappointing 2022-23 NBA season. After a miserable 2-10 start to the year with a mismatched roster, the team seemed primed for a run down the year's home stretch after team president Rob Pelinka rebuilt the team with a flurry of tactical trades.
That's when the injury bug bit LeBron James, who remains sidelined indefinitely with a right foot tendon injury. Without him, LA has looked pretty mortal once again, though one can only imagine the horrors of a roster led by Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley chucking clunkers as a postseason berth slipped away.
All that said, there's actually a pretty easy glass-half-full perspective one can take on this team: a lot of the talented young players surrounding James will be under team control for the short-term future, everyone is clearly a pretty good fit around Pelinka's core of James and Anthony Davis (should they ever stay healthy-ish for a full season again), and, assuming it either misses the play-in tournament or gets knocked out before making the playoffs, the team might be destined for a high-level lottery pick in this year's draft.
Although the New Orleans Pelicans possess the right to swap draft selections with the Lakers this season (as a lingering condition of the two teams' Anthony Davis trade in 2019), they're no hot shakes this year, either. There's a very realistic scenario in which neither 35-37 club qualifies for the play-in tournament at all (both sit outside the West's top 10), and thus both fall into the draft lottery.
No, LA will not get Victor Wembanyama, given that the Pelicans would be able to trade for the better pick, meaning that even if LA somehow landed the No. 1 pick, it would be commuted to NOLA, with the Lakers landing the worse of their two draft picks. This includes several of the anticipated top 10 players in the 2023 draft are already on pro teams beyond the NBA, from Wembanyama (Metropolitans 92) to the Thompson twins (Overtime Elite).
That said, there are still some tantalizing first-round draft prospects worth watching for Laker fans in this year's ongoing NCAA March Madness tournament as it reaches the Sweet 16.
Jarace Walker, Houston (1-seed)
A top-10 prospect, the 6'8" combo forward is averaging a modest 11 points on a solid 53.3% true shooting percentage, 6.6 rebounds and 1 blocks with Houston this season. The 19-year-old is considered by The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor to have a lot in common with ex-Laker Julius Randle offensively, but a far more formidable presence on the other end. He'd be a pretty terrific fit in LA's frontcourt as Jarred Vanderbilt's understudy.
Nick Smith Jr., Arkansas (8-seed)
The 6'5" shooting guard, another top-10 prospect is considered to be a crafty, streaky jump shooter, inside the three-point arc and out. Though he's a solid scorer off the dribble, he's also a good cutter who can generate offense off the catch. Smith is considered a good defender, though he may not have the strength to stick with seasoned NBA vets just yet. LA could use some wing help, making Smith a sensible fit.
Anthony Black, Arkansas
Projected to be a mid-first round draft selection, this 6'7" point guard is a skilled defender across multiple perimeter positions and a high-level passer. He's an inconsistent three-point shooter (31% on 2.6 tries a game) but hey, he's only 19!
Noah Clowney, Alabama
This 6'10" center is seen as a gritty interior presence with some upside as a shooter, and is expected to be available beyond the lottery (somewhere in the middle of the first round), should LA actually make the playoffs. The Lakers are probably going to be on the prowl for a Mo Bamba upgrade this summer, so adding one under team control on a rookie scale salary would make plenty of sense!
Jordan Hawkins, UConn (4-seed)
Hawkins, a 6'5" junior shooting guard, is seen as a top-20 pick. He's an elite three-point shooter, making 36.8% of his 7.7 triples a night for the Huskies. He's also considered a solid on-ball defender, but a lack of athleticism could impede his ceiling on that side of the ball.
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA (2-seed)
The 6'7" swingman, 22, is balling out for the Bruins right now. He's averaging 17.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game for UCLA at present, and considered an intriguing late first-round prospect with some two-way upside.
Brandon Miller, Alabama (1-seed)
Sorry, but a guy who supplies a gun for an eventual homicide isn't my idea of a good time. I don't care how talented he is, this oversized (6'9") wing, considered to be a top scorer and playmaker in the draft and a top-five prospect, is more trouble than he'd be worth. LA should avoid the headache at all costs.
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