NBA Draft 2017: Five prospects the Lakers need to keep an eye on
By Keith Rivas
Closing Thoughts
Nothing is more important to Magic Johnson and the Lakers than winning more championships. They may have sixteen titles, but they have struggled in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant’s retirement.
No longer able to function off of Bryant or his tandem with Shaquille O’Neal in the early 2000’s, a new brand of basketball is in order.
After making moves at head coach and the front office, with back to back second overall picks and a shining second round talent, they’re in the right direction. Previous drafts were important for their rebuild at the core, but this draft determines their direction moving forward.
Do they want to build a contender by next season or allow for growth and go after free agents after next year?
It’s a burning question that they’ll have to answer to and defend on draft night. Neither are necessarily bad routes, but they require very different amounts of attention, effort, and eventual success.