Should Lakers Draft Karl-Anthony Towns Or Jahlil Okafor?
By Mehdi Bouneb
Karl-Anthony Towns Is The Right Kind Of Problem
Mar 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Karl-Anthony Towns (12) is guarded by Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Bonzie Colson (35) during the first half in the finals of the midwest regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Towns had a tremendous season with Kentucky, where he nearly went undefeated.
Throughout the year, Towns averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks per game.
The numbers show that Towns is not an offensive juggernaut, but rather his specialty is defense which is something Laker fans have not seen over the course of the NBA season.
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Towns would be an immediate upgrade at the center position, as he would give the Lakers that defensive anchor they so desperately need. Measuring at seven feet (in shoes) with a wingspan of 7’3, Towns has the ability to block and alter shots.
This will be a pleasing sight to Laker fans as the defensive numbers were abysmal, to say the least.
During the 2014-15 season, the Lakers had a defensive rating of 110.6 which ranks them at 29.
They allowed 45.1 points in the paint per game, which is only better than Phoenix, New Orleans, and Minnesota. Finally, the Lakers allowed 105.1 points per game, which is good enough for being second to last.
Drafting Karl-Anthony Towns will give the Lakers the potential to improve those defensive numbers, as well as providing the team with some much-needed athleticism. Towns has the versatility to play both the center, and power forward positions, and has the ability to guard multiple positions.
Next: What About Jahlil Okafor?