Los Angeles Lakers: Why it is time to shut down key players
By Jason Reed
3. It helps the Los Angeles Lakers move up the draft order
The Los Angeles Lakers’ goal this season was not to have a high selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. In fact, the team’s goal was the exact opposite. Los Angeles wanted to have the best record possible, make it as far as possible in the NBA Playoffs and have as high of a pick as possible.
However, if the team misses the playoffs then it will obviously be entered into the NBA lottery. And while the chances are still very slim, the worse the Lakers are the better chances the team is of getting a high pick in the draft.
Right now the Lakers are on pace to get the 11th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft with a 1.8 percent chance of landing a top-four pick and a 1.3 percent chance of landing the first overall pick.
The Washington Wizards, who are three and a half games worse than the Lakers, have an 8.5 percent chance of a top-four pick and a 7.5 percent chance of the first overall pick. Still small chances but they are on pace to get the seventh overall pick in the draft.
The Lakers could realistically move as high as the sixth or seventh spot if the team embraces the tank and just sits every significant player down the stretch with various different “injuries”.
The Lakers could then use that pick as depth for next season, or more likely, can flip it in a trade to acquire a second star. The seventh overall pick is much more valuable than the 11th overall pick and it is time that the Lakers embrace that.