Los Angeles Lakers: Draft prospects to stay away from in the first round

2. Jacob Evans, SG/SF, Cincinnati

Just on paper, Jacob Evans fits the Lakers’ needs perfectly and theoretically should be one of the best prospects on the team’s radar. The Lakers need to add a three-point scorer that can play off-ball as well as someone who can contribute on the defensive end.

While the Lakers would inevitably get better at both areas if the team brought in several superstars, three-point shooting and defense were two weak areas of the roster last year. Adding as much help as possible is an obvious great strategy.

Evans helps in both aspects as he is the prototypical three and D player that could come off the bench for the Lakers. Evans looks and plays similar to Jae Crowder, who has shown sparks of greatness in the right schemes.

However, Evans lacks great athleticism that would really make him an impact player in the NBA. While he has the fundamentals down, he is a below average athlete for the NBA which naturally would lead to issues on the Lakers.

Especially if the Lakers are solely using Evans as an off-ball three-point scorer and a defender in prime situations. That athletic gap is only going to hurt Evans’ best qualities and hinder his progression on a super team.