Lakers draft rumors: 3 reasons to go with Dennis Smith Jr.

By Keith Rivas | Jun 12, 2017

Mar 7, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack guard Dennis Smith Jr. (4) drives against Clemson Tigers guard Marcquise Reed (2) during the second half of an ACC Conference Tournament game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Drafting him means automatic improvement on pick and roll

If the other two reasons aren’t enough to give it a thought, the idea of the Lakers getting better at running a pick and roll should be on your list. Especially with the Russell transition as well as the potential growth of Ingram.

This young team cannot afford to forget or misuse fundamentals. It’s one of the keys to competing and contending sooner, and it would give their offense some of that flair it’s been missing.

Per the OC Register:

"Smith Jr. impressed the Lakers with his workout after leading the Wolfpack with 18.1 points on 45.5 percent shooting and 6.2 assists during his freshman season. He had a 48-inch vertical. He also believed he could have helped the Lakers in one specific category. “I checked one of the stats and they’re bottom 10 in almost everything relative to pick-and-roll scoring,” Smith Jr. said. “I think I can contribute to that.”"

The report goes on to say that the Lakers are considering Smith Jr. mostly if they decide to trade down with Sacramento. But that hasn’t held him out of the picture just yet.

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