Lakers Small On Wins, Big On Drama

Jun 26, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; A general view as the names of the first round draft picks are displayed above the stage during the 2014 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

A Top-Five Protected Pick

If the Lakers continue to struggle, they improve their changes of securing a top-five draft pick.  This is critical since a pick outside of the top-five goes over to Phoenix as part of the trade for the ghost of Steve Nash.  So the fear of falling down to No. 6 or below could add some real suspense to the rest of the season.

The recent luck experienced by the team leads me to believe they will likely finish with the worst record in basketball and somehow manage to fall out of the top-5 come lottery time thanks to the Cleveland Cavaliers landing the top pick again for the 15th year in a row (I blame you, David Stern!).

But, let’s assume they do land a pick at the top of the draft. This gives all Lakers’ fans a reason to closely follow the college ranks. For many Lakers’ fans used to the Lakers drafting towards the end of the draft (if the pick isn’t traded away prior to that point), this could open them up to the world of college basketball for the first time.

Might Jahlil Okafor from Duke be an option to pair alongside Julius Randle in the frontcourt? Or maybe Kelly Oubre from Kansas would be a good fit to fill the other wing position.  His sweet stroke from outside might be just what the Lakers need to boost their perimeter scoring, while allowing Kobe to remain at the shooting guard spot.

Unlike last year, there is no sure-fire number one pick going into this college season. So it will be exciting to see which players rise to the top as the college season comes to a close the NBA draft draws near.

Thanks to the Lakers low expectations on the season, we all have an excuse to watch these college players more closely beyond just trying to get a leg up on the office when it comes time for the company tournament pool.