The #2 Pick

[loveshaq786]

Take russell, because 76ers will be stuck in hard place with 3 bigs.

Than trade Russell and swaggy p, Ryan kelly, #34 for okafor and covington and saric?

[Luciferswings]

I think going back in history to discuss why people are wrong who don't think two post players work is the wrong approach to take. Everything that happened prior to the 2001-2002 is kinda irrelevant since that's when the league went from the old illegal defense rule to the new defensive 3 second rule. That completely changed the way defenses could attack post players. Defenses can pack the paint in ways that they could never dream of before and that makes post play an entirely different animal than the days of Kareem and Hakeem which you mentioned.

Being able to effectively spread the floor in order to stretch the defense exponentially grew in importance from the illegal defense days, you have to use examples post rule change to more effectively drive any point home in regards to post play.

Personally I think people are right that having two players that play exclusively in the post playing together is not really the most desirable situation, and gives defenses a much easier time.

However, I don't think that would apply to Randle and Okafot for two basic reasons. Okafor is such a good passer and so good at anticipating doubles that a good offensive system will allow him to find his teammates and allow ball rotation to eventually find an open shot. Randle, I think, is going to initiate most of his own isolation offense from the mid range region with face ups and dribble drives. He's not going to be a back to the basket set up near the paint. I think people have Randle all wrong if they envision him as s traditional post player.

A very sensible post. Looking back to an NBA that no longer exists, to explain why Randle is a good fit with Okafor, is completely misguided. Since the early/mid 00's the following things changed:
- Defensive 3 seconds
- Zone/illegal defense rules changed
- Handcheck rules eliminated
That saw the rise of teams like the Suns, and the increased importance of an open court and shooting, and the decreased importance of big men. But that was only stage 1. Then the Thibs defences came into being, and everyone began to steal from him. Finally, the last three steps that changed the NBA:
Mavs "Hey, those Thibs teams play great D. But those schemes can't stop you if you use a 3pt heavy motion style offense, where there is no strong side or isolations."
Spurs and Heat "Hey, I wonder what would happen if we combined Thibs defensive schemes with a 3pt heavy motion style offense?"
Warriors "Hey, if we combined those great 3pt heavy motion offenses with a Thibs stye D that could switch on almost every position, we'd be able to defend both isolation ball and motion schemes, and outgun everyone on offense, wouldn't that be cool?"

[TRKO]

Lol, somethig in my gut feeling is that minny drafts okafor, and we're all getting excited for nothing. I hope we DONT GET TOWNS. Okafor or bust

Why not Towns?

just feel like okafors offense will truly make up for his flaws and that he'd be unstoppable. i think towns wont be a reliable offensive threat as much as okafor. thats me though. but it looks as though everyone here on the board will be ecstatic if towns falls to us.

Yeah I think Towns' limited playing time has helped him, because he is more of an unknown. Okafor is more of a known commodity so his game is getting picked apart to death. I think Towns will be good. I'm not so sure he will be great like people are saying.

[scoobs07]

I think we should pick Russell with #2. I feel that we will be very lucky if he is still on the board by then. The guy just has the ability to make other better, I'm talking about an nba double digit assists guy and he is a great shooter too. This a 19 year old Steve Nash, but better then Nash was at that age, more nba ready. I project him getting 18ppg, 8apg, 5rpg while shooting 36+% from 3 his rookie season. I would love to pair this kid with Randle, moving forward. We would still have to adress the center and small forward positions though. We could do this with the 22-23 million of cap space and by using Clarkson, #27, #34, Black, Kelly, Sacre and Young as trade bait. I would even trade Randle if we get the right players back. It is imperative that the small forward and centers are good defensive players though.

[kblo247]

Russell will have a litany of problems too. He lacks athleticism, doesn't finish well with contact in the interior, and needs to pound the hell out of the ball to get shots off. And point guard is the hardest position to learn out the blocks, a center can make a difference from Day 1.

The Lakers can find a guard in free agency, when a draft is holding two bigs that can play....forget the weakness, you take them.

Not certain about it and I've said it. The big guys are assets but the two Gs may have better careers

Look at 96. I take AI every single day over 20 and 10 shareef still to this day for example. It's about not just the talent but the animal that's inside them. If you see an animal inside Russell or Muiday and work ethic, you take them.

Towns can play but he's been a 20mpg player who gets to go all out without fear. He has many flaws like the other 3 do, but I'm not buying at all that he's that much more talented and has more heart than Okafor, Russell, Muiday, or even Mario

I'm not buying the whole Towns is greater than everyone argument but it comes down to drafting Marc Gasol or James Harden. The thing is that if we draft Towns it gives us a legitimate reason to go after Kevin Love and Rondo which infinitely makes us more attractive to a free agent like Kevin Durant. It's pretty much a Towns or Okafor as #2 pick.

The thing is you can draft Okafor and still go after them or go after rondo and Marc. You can even go with a guard and still play an elite but in Marc or deandre and pay rondo what's left of the cap with a win getting the room exception

[rzzzzz]

Take russell, because 76ers will be stuck in hard place with 3 bigs.

Than trade Russell and swaggy p, Ryan kelly, #34 for okafor and covington and saric?

Hinkie would love grabbing Town or Okafor. That's who he would take if got the 1st or 2nd pick. BPA. Maybe check out what kind of deal he could get trading down for one of the Europeans, but more likely just hang on and develop, evaluate and see what offers he gets heading into next year's draft, as he looks to add more assets.

[oneseven]

If there was any trade down by Mitch, I'd hope it was for Winslow. I see him, not Russell, as the third best future pro of the group (behind the two C's). I'd put Russell fourth. If LA hadn't moved up to #2 I'd have been begging Mitch to take Winslow, not Mudiay or Russell or a Euro at 3 or 4.

[DEEP3CL]

I gotta ask this question to all the Russell lovers....

If the Lakers drafted him do you guys even realize how much ground the team has to make up in covering spots that are already hard enough to cover in the NBA ?

What will the Lakers do at center ?

You guys do realize this team will NEVER win anything with Jordan Hill as the 5 right ? You can't run an offense through him because his passing is nowhere near Okafor's caliber. Jordan is a hustle man who got thrusted in a role that requires solid performances nightly, Jordan is a hell of player off the bench, now his hustle can't be match by even the other teams second units, but as a starter we go nowhere.

As so by drafting Russell now we'd have wait on him to learn how to read NBA defenses from the top of them, centers can easily pick up NBA defenses even as a rookie because they're behind them and also have the advantage of seeing over the top of them. Rookie guards struggle I don't care how talented they are, hell Nash struggled mightily his first couple of years. People talk as if he came in doing what he did for 19 years....not even close.

So drafting him isn't as easy as it seems, the gap at the 5 now is too glaring not to take Okafor or Towns. We can use free agency to get a guard...hell even if it's Rondo, it works better for us because at least he's ahead of NBA defense in terms of how to read them. Secondly he'll know way better than Russell on how to set up Jahlil or Karl, this is the best part of having a passing lead guard rather than a shoot first/ dominate the ball guard.

And weather you guys have realized it or not ( and I'm guessing strongly that you haven't) but Kobe isn't going to let Russell dominate the ball like that, so that right there stunts his progress and we basically waste a year. And that's no knock on Kobe from me, but you have to realize a guy like Kobe can't wait for Russell to see what the defense is playing in order to set up Kobe for scoring. Hell he may miss Kobe and others on reads that an experience guard can easily make.

And with all this that I posted, somebody still tell me what do we do at the 5 spot ?

[Pointgod]

Not certain about it and I've said it. The big guys are assets but the two Gs may have better careers

Look at 96. I take AI every single day over 20 and 10 shareef still to this day for example. It's about not just the talent but the animal that's inside them. If you see an animal inside Russell or Muiday and work ethic, you take them.

Towns can play but he's been a 20mpg player who gets to go all out without fear. He has many flaws like the other 3 do, but I'm not buying at all that he's that much more talented and has more heart than Okafor, Russell, Muiday, or even Mario

I'm not buying the whole Towns is greater than everyone argument but it comes down to drafting Marc Gasol or James Harden. The thing is that if we draft Towns it gives us a legitimate reason to go after Kevin Love and Rondo which infinitely makes us more attractive to a free agent like Kevin Durant. It's pretty much a Towns or Okafor as #2 pick.

The thing is you can draft Okafor and still go after them or go after rondo and Marc. You can even go with a guard and still play an elite but in Marc or deandre and pay rondo what's left of the cap with a win getting the room exception

I guess Okafor and Gasol could work offensively since Marc can hit the mid range shot but defensively that means that Okafor and Gasol will have to chase bigs out to the perimeter. I honestly don't see it working. The days of twin towers is dead and the league is trending towards more mobile front courts. I think you can get away with having one slow footed big but two isn't going to cut it. And ughh adding Rondo to Okafor. Okafor will be working from the low post so you need to surround him with shooters. It's going to be hard enough for Rondo to pry the ball away from Kobe's hands, never mind adding a low post big into the mix. Rondo fits amazingly with Kevin Love and Towns because both bigs can spread the floor opening up lanes for him to penetrate. Plus they Towns could make up for Love's lack of defense. That's why I believe only certain combinations of draft picks and free agents make sense.

[Westbreezy]

I gotta ask this question to all the Russell lovers....

If the Lakers drafted him do you guys even realize how much ground the team has to make up in covering spots that are already hard enough to cover in the NBA ?

What will the Lakers do at center ?

You guys do realize this team will NEVER win anything with Jordan Hill as the 5 right ? You can't run an offense through him because his passing is nowhere near Okafor's caliber. Jordan is a hustle man who got thrusted in a role that requires solid performances nightly, Jordan is a hell of player off the bench, now his hustle can't be match by even the other teams second units, but as a starter we go nowhere.

As so by drafting Russell now we'd have wait on him to learn how to read NBA defenses from the top of them, centers can easily pick up NBA defenses even as a rookie because they're behind them and also have the advantage of seeing over the top of them. Rookie guards struggle I don't care how talented they are, hell Nash struggled mightily his first couple of years. People talk as if he came in doing what he did for 19 years....not even close.

So drafting him isn't as easy as it seems, the gap at the 5 now is too glaring not to take Okafor or Towns. We can use free agency to get a guard...hell even if it's Rondo, it works better for us because at least he's ahead of NBA defense in terms of how to read them. Secondly he'll know way better than Russell on how to set up Jahlil or Karl, this is the best part of having a passing lead guard rather than a shoot first/ dominate the ball guard.

And weather you guys have realized it or not ( and I'm guessing strongly that you haven't) but Kobe isn't going to let Russell dominate the ball like that, so that right there stunts his progress and we basically waste a year. And that's no knock on Kobe from me, but you have to realize a guy like Kobe can't wait for Russell to see what the defense is playing in order to set up Kobe for scoring. Hell he may miss Kobe and others on reads that an experience guard can easily make.

And with all this that I posted, somebody still tell me what do we do at the 5 spot ?

It seems like you're very fixated on the present & immediate future. I want Mitch to think about the next 10 years, not the next 2... Who cares if Jordan Hill or Ed Davis have to start at C for 1 more year? Who cares if Kobe doesn't let Russell dominate the ball next year?

Do you think Golden State was thinking, "We can't draft Curry because of Monta"? Or do you think they thought they should draft a center since they needed one? Jordan Hill got drafted with the next pick.

Bottom line is this-- As Laker fans we should want Mitch to draft whoever HE thinks is going to ultimately be the best player. I don't care if he wins ROY or even if he misses the All rookie 2nd team because "Kobe didn't let him dominate the ball".

That being said, I think we should take Okafor because I personally think he'll be a better player than Russell. However, thinking in terms of positional/personnel needs for a team who finished 21-61 is just not at all necessary. Stack talent, see who sticks and who shines and build around that. Thats my take anyways.

[Luciferswings]

Sign a 5 like Asik, Koufas, D.Jordan, etc. Plenty of those on the market this offseason.

[DEEP3CL]

It seems like you're very fixated on the present & immediate future. I want Mitch to think about the next 10 years, not the next 2... Who cares if Jordan Hill or Ed Davis have to start at C for 1 more year? Who cares if Kobe doesn't let Russell dominate the ball next year?

Wrong...the present is that we're in a rebuild and I get that it won't be a quick fix, I've seen this done before and understand the complexity it takes. I'm more patient here than others are. The general thinking that I see administered here constantly is that we can just trade for whoever, propose trades that don't come close to reality and everybody wants to play here. So if things are done the right way the "immediate future" will take care of itself. That starts with this draft, people here are seriously underestimating how important it is to take a player who can have more of an impact right away. Sorry but Russell isn't going to impact anything right away no matter how talented he is.

Do you think Golden State was thinking, "We can't draft Curry because of Monta"? Or do you think they thought they should draft a center since they needed one? Jordan Hill got drafted with the next pick.

That statement is contradictive though, reason being as we all know Monte was never the true lead guard Steph was. And the question was when and not if Monte was going to be traded. It's was obvious from Day 1 the mix was bad. I get the gist of what you're saying in terms of just stack the talent, but in our situation we don't have multiple guys filling positions. Second it's irrelevant that Hill got drafted next, the Warriors did extensive scouting on Curry and Hill wasn't thought to be a transcendent talent anyway.

Bottom line is this-- As Laker fans we should want Mitch to draft whoever HE thinks is going to ultimately be the best player. I don't care if he wins ROY or even if he misses the All rookie 2nd team because "Kobe didn't let him dominate the ball".

You're right it is on Mitch, bottom line is we have no control on who the Lakers draft. What I'm trying to explain is that this particular draft isn't a draft that you get cute in and just draft a good talent. It is to the utmost importance that the Lakers fill a need that will help in the transition past Kobe and into the next decade. You just can't take Russell because he's a talent potential when you can fill his position more easily through free agency or in a future draft, and when that talent is in the same draft that contains two transcendent players you have to look at those players first. Another DeAngelo Russell will come along over and over again.

That being said, I think we should take Okafor because I personally think he'll be a better player than Russell. However, thinking in terms of positional/personnel needs for a team who finished 21-61 is just not at all necessary. Stack talent, see who sticks and who shines and build around that. Thats my take anyways.

I agree, but the stack talent part ins't going to be that easy for us seeing as we owe potentially 2 more 1st rounders. I'm hoping that the situation with the Magic plays the way we need it go so that 1st rounder turns into a 2nd if it isn't conveyed by 2018 I think.

[DEEP3CL]

Sign a 5 like Asik, Koufas, D.Jordan, etc. Plenty of those on the market this offseason.

Seriously ? You can't be that naive to think the those guys are gonna help the Lakers get better.

Asik regressed badly, was basically useless in every aspect and was riding the bench in the 4th.

Koufas isn't a starter in this league and will never be, what does he provide that the Lakers don't get from Hill already ?

Jordan, while he provides interior protection and rebounding, you can't win with him.

[Luciferswings]

Asik played the Tiago Splitter role, which involved starting big and finishing small. The defending champs won a title with him if I recall. Koufas is playing limited minutes because Marc Gasol. It's widely agreed he'll leave this offseason to start for someone on fairly big money. D.Jordan was a huge force for a Clippers team who was talented enough to make the WCFs. If you can make the WCF's then you can definitely "win with him". Heck, if you can even make the playoffs out West you're winning alot.

[Mirjalovic]

I think we should pick Russell with #2. I feel that we will be very lucky if he is still on the board by then. The guy just has the ability to make other better, I'm talking about an nba double digit assists guy and he is a great shooter too. This a 19 year old Steve Nash, but better then Nash was at that age, more nba ready. I project him getting 18ppg, 8apg, 5rpg while shooting 36+% from 3 his rookie season. I would love to pair this kid with Randle, moving forward. We would still have to adress the center and small forward positions though. We could do this with the 22-23 million of cap space and by using Clarkson, #27, #34, Black, Kelly, Sacre and Young as trade bait. I would even trade Randle if we get the right players back. It is imperative that the small forward and centers are good defensive players though.

Cool.. we have a chance to dominant inside with Okafor/Town and Randle, but you choose to trade Randle and not draft one of bigs.

Cavs and Warriors can't do **** without TT, Mozgov and Bogut, imagine with a more talented big like Okafor/Town. Guards are dime a dozen, plus we get our own stud in Jordan Clarkson. It's not like Russell is the BPA.

[Pointgod]

I gotta ask this question to all the Russell lovers....

If the Lakers drafted him do you guys even realize how much ground the team has to make up in covering spots that are already hard enough to cover in the NBA ?

What will the Lakers do at center ?

You guys do realize this team will NEVER win anything with Jordan Hill as the 5 right ? You can't run an offense through him because his passing is nowhere near Okafor's caliber. Jordan is a hustle man who got thrusted in a role that requires solid performances nightly, Jordan is a hell of player off the bench, now his hustle can't be match by even the other teams second units, but as a starter we go nowhere.

As so by drafting Russell now we'd have wait on him to learn how to read NBA defenses from the top of them, centers can easily pick up NBA defenses even as a rookie because they're behind them and also have the advantage of seeing over the top of them. Rookie guards struggle I don't care how talented they are, hell Nash struggled mightily his first couple of years. People talk as if he came in doing what he did for 19 years....not even close.

So drafting him isn't as easy as it seems, the gap at the 5 now is too glaring not to take Okafor or Towns. We can use free agency to get a guard...hell even if it's Rondo, it works better for us because at least he's ahead of NBA defense in terms of how to read them. Secondly he'll know way better than Russell on how to set up Jahlil or Karl, this is the best part of having a passing lead guard rather than a shoot first/ dominate the ball guard.

And weather you guys have realized it or not ( and I'm guessing strongly that you haven't) but Kobe isn't going to let Russell dominate the ball like that, so that right there stunts his progress and we basically waste a year. And that's no knock on Kobe from me, but you have to realize a guy like Kobe can't wait for Russell to see what the defense is playing in order to set up Kobe for scoring. Hell he may miss Kobe and others on reads that an experience guard can easily make.

And with all this that I posted, somebody still tell me what do we do at the 5 spot ?

We do what 29 other NBA teams do and fill in the gaps through other means. No one we pick at 2 is going to have the talent to come in and make this team a playoff team. You're making it seem as if Russell handcuffs the rest of our moves which is crazy. By far the NBA is easier to adjust to as a guard, there's no question. The rules are set up for guard for guards to flourish. There's no Anthony Davis here so any rookie we pick will have to make an adjustment. All this is a moot point anyways because Russell isn't the BPA at @2.

[Mirjalovic]

which one easier ? Crush the NBA (heavy guards league) with a lead guard vs with a dominant big in a league with a handful good bigmen ?????

[SlimShady83]

I
So drafting him isn't as easy as it seems, the gap at the 5 now is too glaring not to take Okafor or Towns. We can use free agency to get a guard...hell even if it's Rondo, it works better for us because at least he's ahead of NBA defense in terms of how to read them. Secondly he'll know way better than Russell on how to set up Jahlil or Karl, this is the best part of having a passing lead guard rather than a shoot first/ dominate the ball guard.

And with all this that I posted, somebody still tell me what do we do at the 5 spot ?

I love you deep

[LAKESHOW]

I think towns can turn into an anthony davis type player. But more versatile which means more offensive weaponry. Towns i forsee will attain a mid range jumper that will be unstoppable, but he can hit the low box whenever need be. Now we pick up a gasol for example, throw a randle or whoever else we got down there. Our front line is set! We dominate for years to come, without the worry of having to hit our freethrows. This #2 pick should solidify our frontline for years.

[Sedale Threatt]

He isn't in Davis' league. That's one of those players that come along once every five or 10 years, a surefire superstar. That said, it seems like most of the chatter is starting to shift towards Okafor as No. 1, and I'm actually a little more comfortable with Towns. Feels like a borderline lock that he's going to be at least a really good defensive player. That appeals pretty strongly...