Should Lakers Draft Karl-Anthony Towns Or Jahlil Okafor?
By Mehdi Bouneb
What About Jahlil Okafor?
Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) goes up for a shot while guarded by Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker (15) and forward Frank Kaminsky (44) during the second half in the 2015 NCAA Men
Okafor has been an absolute offensive machine throughout the regular college season and on the way to winning the national title with his Duke Blue Devils. Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks.
The numbers illustrate that offense is clearly Okafor’s forte. He is also a strong offensive rebounder as he average 3.5 rebound per game – that’s 41% of his total rebounding numbers!
Should the Lakers pick Okafor, he would be the best center on the Lakers squad since Andrew Bynum.
Former San Antonio Spurs legend, David Robinson, has shown high praise towards Okafor, even as far as comparing him to Tim Duncan:
The freshman @BigJah15 Okafor reminds me of TImmyD #BrightFuture
— David Robinson (@DavidtheAdmiral) February 7, 2015
Jeff Capel, Duke’s assistant coach who played against Duncan in college, agrees with Robinson:
“If you compare them as freshman – just as freshman – ‘Jah’ is a lot better offensively”
Okafor will come into the NBA with the best postgame and footwork in the entire 2015 draft class. He is an old-school type of center, who enjoys playing with his back to the basket and asserting his dominance in the paint.
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Okafor is a little bit undersized for the center position, as he measures at 6’11 (in shoes), and has a wingspan of 7’5.
What he lacks in height, he makes up in weight weighing in at 272 lbs.
He can be a nightmare offensively but defense is where he struggles. You can teach defensive principles but if you don’t have the instincts, you will not be a great defensive player.
This brings me to my final point – should the Lakers draft Towns or Okafor? On one hand, a frontcourt of Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle will be fantastic.
They will form one of the most athletic frontcourt in the NBA, and Towns would be the defensive stopper the Lakers need and if Randle can knock down the 15-foot jumper with consistency, they could offer a great inside-out game.
If the Lakers pick Okafor, defense will once again be an issue for the Lakers, but it is offensively where this duo would thrive.
Again, they could provide a great inside-out game, and Okafor will be able to play close to the basket where he is at his best.
Personally, I would pick Towns because he has the defensive tools and mentality to succeed. As my university basketball coach once told me, “defense is something you have.
You can always work on improving your offensive game”.
Until June 25, our speculations can only add to your entertainment.
Regardless of whom Minnesota picks, the Lakers wll have a great building block for the future.
Next: Poll: Towns or Okafor?