Jahlil Okafor and the Lakers: A Pairing of Destiny

“I’d love to be here.”

Those were the words of former Duke center and potential top two pick Jahlil Okafor on Tuesday as he stood beside the Lakers practice court after his workout for the team which holds this year’s No. 2 overall pick.

It was an interview in which Okafor was clear in expressing his hopes to wear the purple and gold, prematurely referring to the team as “we” whilst professing his desire to be a part of a winning tradition and continue the legacy of Laker greats whom he’s admired since his early youth.

He was persuasive, his responses were intelligible and most of all, he was genuine.

No question about it, Okafor wants to be a Laker. But perhaps even more so, the Lakers need him to be.

The team has experienced an uncharacteristic downfall since the infamous nixed Chris Paul trade in 2011.

An event that was followed by the trade of beloved Laker Lamar Odom.

A depressingly failed attempt at resurgence with the acquisition of an unfit Dwight Howard and a fading Steve Nash, multiple strike-outs in free agency and the eventual departure of Pau Gasol — one of the last remnant pieces from the ‘09 and ‘10 championship teams.

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What the team is now left with is a waning and soon-to-retire Kobe Bryant and two sophomore players in Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson who, despite their great potential, have a good amount of question marks surrounding their future prospects.

So, perhaps getting back in touch with their roots — as outdated as they may seem — is in the team’s best interest.

With his 6 foot 11, 270 pound frame, advanced footwork, and deft touch around the basket, Okafor is the prototype for the “throwback” NBA big man with a post-oriented game that will recur memories of Laker centers past.

For the record, I do not believe Lakers lineage is a convincing argument to draft Okafor, however, it does provide a level of comfort ability in the team’s ability to find success with a low-post big in the modern NBA.

Yes, the NBA has become a guard’s league. Yet, as I’ve noted before, this transition is more so due to the premium of talented low-post big men than to their ineffectiveness.

Okafor, whose offensive skill has aroused comparisons to Duncan and Olajuwon, can be one of the most effective of his generation.

No, he may not be the defensive talent and supremely athletic big that is Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, but there is an intangible value to desire.

Okafor has his eyes on being the next franchise centerpiece and learning from the former players who’ve fit that mold.

“[Winning] is what the Laker organization is about that’s what I want to be a part of,” Okafor asserted on Tuesday, confirming that he has no fear of the highly pressurized task of wearing a Lakers jersey.

Embracing the city and its beloved franchise early, a smart move by the savvy player whose composure and maturity seem fit for the demands of the Los Angeles fan base.

In an offbeat world where the team’s seasons have hinged on lottery hopes rather than Finals births, the Lakers finally got a ball to roll their way.

Landing at the second overall spot in a draft where many fans feared the top-five protected pick would be lost is a rare, but welcomed string of luck for what has lately been a star-crossed organization.

And, hopefully, this is just the beginning.

Luck in the NBA tends to have a snowball effect (see: Cavaliers, Cleveland) and with the potential acquisition of Okafor as the next franchise player…

Maybe top-tier free agents begin to liken themselves to the idea of accelerating the team’s rebuilding effort.

Maybe the string of injuries over the past few seasons comes to halt.

Maybe Kobe finishes his Lakers career with a playoff birth.

And maybe, just maybe, Jim Buss’ 2014 assertion of the Lakers competing for a championship in four years won’t be all that farfetched.

So, while the rest of the NBA flaunts their stretch bigs and fast-paced offenses, the Lakers and Okafor will look to team together for a revival of the low-post game and the revival of a franchise.

Though seemingly far removed, the Lakers remain a winning organization. And as a champion in high school, a champion in AAU and a national champion at Duke, the 19 year-old Okafor has quite the knack for winning himself.

In a city defined by stars, this collision of paths seems destined as the plot for your next classic sports redemption film — the historic yet struggling franchise is gifted the once-in-a-generation talent.

It will be left up to the Lakers and Okafor to give it a Hollywood ending, returning each other to championship glory.