The #2 Pick

[TyCobb]

http://www.nba.com/lakers/video/1506061on1Mudiayl

Not sure how to read his chill attitude, but I still don't think he's a guy I would pick top 2.

I thought he was great. Sounds really mature for his age, and we know he is ahead with his physical maturity too.

You can see their games on the court, but knowing the person and how much growth the prospect has left is the true difference maker in drafting the Clarkson's from the Lamb's.

Ultimately, this is the advantage Mitch and the rest of the front office have over us who just watch hours of game tape. I like Towns, Okafor, Russell, Mudiay, and Hezonja so much that I'm okay if any of them get drafted because I know Mitch and them have gotten to know the separation factors and fit.

I've never been more relaxed before a relevant draft for the Lakers. Looking forward to getting the draft done and rooting for whomever they take instead of all of them.

[DEEP3CL]

As much as we're sitting here and nit picking these guys and breaking them down, all I know is that in the history of draft when dominate big are on the board no guy under 6'5" has been drafted before them.

All we have to do it point to 1984, Portland took Sam Bowie even though every scout had Jordan rated above him. But Bowie was an exceptional talent and had a great college career on a Kentucky team where he had to carry the load.

Jordan to a degree was held back a bit because the Tarheels had great front court players in James Worthy and Sam Perkins.

Bottom line is teams will take bigs especially if their dominate and have high ceilings.

[DEEP3CL]

Well from looking at him standing next to Trudell , he don't look 6'5"....Trudell isn't even 5'11". Look 6'3"ish to me.

[DEEP3CL]

I've never been more relaxed before a relevant draft for the Lakers. Looking forward to getting the draft done and rooting for whomever they take instead of all of them.

Starting to take this approach myself, bottom line is all those guys are good players now with the potential to be great and a major difference maker in about 3-4 years. If we take a guard I just hope like hell Mitch and Jim come through on a free agent big that can play, that's all we can ask for at that point.

[laduane1]

Lets hope twolves take another guard, Towns falls to Lakers. Only problem, Mitch wants to trade out of lottery. Please Mitch, Stop saying that.

[Curuch13]

Lets hope twolves take another guard, Towns falls to Lakers. Only problem, Mitch wants to trade out of lottery. Please Mitch, Stop saying that.

We can definitely take a guard but only if we will be trading down a few spots to a team that would want to take Towns #1.

[Hogified05]

I just got a gut feeling you guys are going send the pick to Sac for Cousins.

[Slava]

I just got a gut feeling you guys are going send the pick to Sac for Cousins.

Knowing Cowbell-town they'd rather throw Cousins into the ocean than bend over and send him to the Lakers.

[Hogified05]

I just got a gut feeling you guys are going send the pick to Sac for Cousins.

Knowing Cowbell-town they'd rather throw Cousins into the ocean than bend over and send him to the Lakers.

ha true point. But it's a different owner now from when you guys were bitter rivals. And Vlade was a Laker at one point. I mean they would immediately get a legit replacement in Okafor or Towns and you guys get an immediate impact all-star player. You guys are the Lakers you can get FAs to come build around Cousins. Really no need to draft if you can get Cousins IMO.

And Sac would take a step back, but they are in the NBA abyss with Cousins....not bad enough to get impact talent in the draft not good enough to contend or attract top FA talent. And small market teams like Sac who can't attract FAs are better off bottoming out. The fans would be excited for the arrival of Okafor or Towns it would buy them a year or two to rebuild.

It's the only way it's worked for Orlando. Suck terribly. Get high draft picks and hopefully pick a stud (Shaq, Penny, Dwight). Build around them. The one time they went the FA route they signed Grant Hill on a broken ankle and crutches and T-Mac broke down carrying the team. Stuck in the NBA abyss....although Tmac was sure as hell fun to watch.

[Slava]

I just got a gut feeling you guys are going send the pick to Sac for Cousins.

Knowing Cowbell-town they'd rather throw Cousins into the ocean than bend over and send him to the Lakers.

ha true point. But it's a different owner now from when you guys were bitter rivals. And Vlade was a Laker at one point. I mean they would immediately get a legit replacement in Okafor or Towns and you guys get an immediate impact all-star player. You guys are the Lakers you can get FAs to come build around Cousins. Really no need to draft if you can get Cousins IMO.

And Sac would take a step back, but they are in the NBA abyss with Cousins....not bad enough to get impact talent in the draft not good enough to contend or attract top FA talent. And small market teams like Sac who can't attract FAs are better off bottoming out. The fans would be excited for the arrival of Okafor or Towns it would buy them a year or two to rebuild.

It's the only way it's worked for Orlando. Suck terribly. Get high draft picks and hopefully pick a stud (Shaq, Penny, Dwight). Build around them. The one time they went the FA route they signed Grant Hill on a broken ankle and crutches and T-Mac broke down carrying the team. Stuck in the NBA abyss....although Tmac was sure as hell fun to watch.

No, you don't understand, the owner is already on the clock to show something.

The whole point of a rebuild is that you built something, made the playoffs and then you stagnated so you are tearing it down and building again. Orlando did that with Dwight, before selling him on and rebuilding.

The Sacramento owner hasn't shown that he is capable of putting 4 blocks together let alone make the playoffs, now kicking that modest wall and rebuilding again won't make sense because there is no trust in him at all. Cousins is what 24? If you rebuild again, he's gotta be part of that.

Every team in the league is going to have money a year from now, Sacramento can go full draft pick mode or they can keep Cousins and sell a prospective free agent on the idea of playing with an all star big man and the best center in the West. Trading him for a rookie makes absolutely no sense for them.

Teams like Sacramento and Wolves have sucked long enough, they got lottery picks but until they know how to make those picks count, it doesn't matter getting 4 or 5 more, you'll stay where you are just 4 more years wasted.

[dockingsched]

Lets hope twolves take another guard, Towns falls to Lakers. Only problem, Mitch wants to trade out of lottery. Please Mitch, Stop saying that.

Am I going crazy or has this same post about trading the pick been repeated a dozen times over the last few days?

[kblo247]

I just got a gut feeling you guys are going send the pick to Sac for Cousins.

Knowing Cowbell-town they'd rather throw Cousins into the ocean than bend over and send him to the Lakers.

Divac is in charge of basketball now and they have new owners. I would be shocked if cousins goes for that little. Hell I'd be shocked if they didn't hang up with a trade leading with Clarkson and Randle plus the pick because in actuality its absurd they would or should take it. Randle hasn't proven anything, Clarkson got his numbers on a bad team and for a portion of the year, so you would have to think one of these bigs will be even better than cousins and that Muiday/Mario will be there at 6 as well

[kblo247]

I was too, until I saw him play summer league and realized he was gonna need more than just a few seasons. Then I was glad we didn't get him once Clarkson carved him up twice.

I still am high on Exum. I think he had a better than expected rookie year, and for stretches he REALLY looked good. He is the youngest guy in the class, and just wasn't ready for the NBA. If he was going to college this year he would be a player of the year candidate.

I still think he has an all star ceiling, and a good chance of getting there. He just is a few years away.

I like Mudiay a hair more than Exum.


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If Exum was anything more than the 5 PER player he is, Jazz would have made the playoffs. That's how good their frontcourt and defense were in the latter half of the season.

Exum was a large part of that said defense. He played great pg d but doesn't have the body to score against men yet. He's a weight room away from competing.

[Slava]

Exum was a large part of that said defense. He played great pg d but doesn't have the body to score against men yet. He's a weight room away from competing.

No he can't run the pick and roll, afraid of contact, which is a serious red flag and hasn't shown a drive and kick game, which are basically 3 of the biggest things you need for an NBA PG. He also has -1.3 defensive box +/- so saying he was part of said defense is very misleading. He might have played decent D, so did Marcus Smart but I'd very surprised if either becomes a success. To be honest, any player worth his salt shouldn't be a league bottom player in terms of PER especially when he started games for an NBA team.

I'm probably less excited about Clarkson as everyone else but he already has solid pick and roll awareness, unafraid to seek contact and finish plays plus he can shoot well. That's what makes him an NBA quality PG. Clarkson playing on a dumpster fire of a team has produced 17 PER, +1,4 Off box +/- and only -1.7 Def box +/- which isn't far away from Exum who had the pleasure of playing behind one of the best defensive big men in Rudy Gobert.

[kblo247]

http://www.nba.com/lakers/video/1506061on1Mudiayl

Not sure how to read his chill attitude, but I still don't think he's a guy I would pick top 2.

I wouldn't say its totally chill. Towns is chill. Mudiay comes from Africa, its a different culture slightly. I know a guy who was raised by a single African dad, he's always soft spoken and thankful, but when he gets mad he becomes Michael blackenson. Stereotype I know, but I like what was said there.

He knows how to be a pro because unlike everyone else he was one. Say whatever you want but the CBA team gave him the option to go home like they did Kenyon, and a bunch of other American guys there when they get hurt. He said **** that, you're paying me to play, I'll rehab, bring my brothers and mother to china, and I'm staying. He got in the rehab room and got back to his team. He ever learned parts of the language to communicate with the guys there while out and showed up to their games. They called him their brother for it because he respected what it meant to be a true professional and their game.

Like he said, he's talked to Harington and Marbury who both have gave him weight room advice and other things. Msrbury has tried to push him towards being a laker as you can see on Instagram as he says he would live him to go there. He sought out magic and West to watch him workout, and he speaks of Kobe in a respectful way, but not in that lovesick puppy way. It's the way Kobe spoke of MJ, he's my idol, but if you put a ball between us I'm going to kill that mother because I want to win and be the best. His personality is very laker like in terms of what's always been done ... Draft the small with an ego, an attitude, and game ... Pay the big that's developed and ready to go on the free agent or trade market.

I'd be ecstatic with Muiday. Hell he's the first point guard I've liked that fits the Kidd and Payton mold IMO. I also much rather sign a big, pay out your ass even to do it than draft one. Our drafted bigs were Divac who only become a true mainstay C in this league after leaving here, Elden who never fully developed, and Bynum who has one all star berth to his name, put up less numbers than Luc Longley when it mattered, and is out the league because he's a goof. I rather go small easy because I think they are better players, but also because I think we develop those guys way better than we do bigs

[kblo247]

Exum was a large part of that said defense. He played great pg d but doesn't have the body to score against men yet. He's a weight room away from competing.

No he can't run the pick and roll, afraid of contact, which is a serious red flag and hasn't shown a drive and kick game, which are basically 3 of the biggest things you need for an NBA PG. He also has -1.3 defensive box +/- so saying he was part of said defense is very misleading. He might have played decent D, so did Marcus Smart but I'd very surprised if either becomes a success. To be honest, any player worth his salt shouldn't be a league bottom player in terms of PER especially when he started games for an NBA team.

I'm probably less excited about Clarkson as everyone else but he already has solid pick and roll awareness, unafraid to seek contact and finish plays plus he can shoot well. That's what makes him an NBA quality PG. Clarkson playing on a dumpster fire of a team has produced 17 PER, +1,4 Off box +/- and only -1.7 Def box +/- which isn't far away from Exum who had the pleasure of playing behind one of the best defensive big men in Rudy Gobert.

I agree with you about Exum. Maybe I should have been more elaborate. His body is to frail for the offensive side. You can see that he sees the play but he is so easily knocked around when attempting to do anything on that end it's not funny. He would have been better served to play overseas like Muiday or Mario than stay in a private setting to work out till the draft. The funny thing about his d was he knew how to use his speed and length to play it but picks and post ups ate him alive. He's just frail and needs a strength coach IMO. I'm not saying he's a stud next year, but I can certainly see him being about as good as George Hill and then improving from there after another summer

Smart had a better year and more impact than Clarkson. The celtics won 2/3 of their remaining games to close the season wi him starting and no green or rondo. He played the best pg d of any starter in the nba period to close the year and it wasn't even close to decent, it was great what he did on that end when he got the reigns given to him. He's the only rookie in the league last year besides wiggins to actually help a team win. Its silly to me say he wasn't already a success. Hell besides wiggins who got his numbers from being option 1 on a mess of a team there was no rook Better or more nba ready physically and mentally than smart. The celtics would've been a higher seed had they been starting him and Bradley together from tip and not feeding the black hole Jeff green

[laduane1]

#2 pick will be long to another team. Lakers looking to get out of first round and second round. Mitch wants 30 year olds.

[Slava]

#2 pick will be long to another team. Lakers looking to get out of first round and second round. Mitch wants 30 year olds.

Not sure if these are signs for early onset Alzheimer's or you are trying to troll and failing miserably at it, but consider yourself warned.

[Mirjalovic]

#2 pick will be long to another team. Lakers looking to get out of first round and second round. Mitch wants 30 year olds.

stop it dude. Mitch won't do that.

[crazyeights]

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His shooting stroke is better than advertised. I'd say improved, but I'd never really seen it before.

Looks huge, physical, I wish I could be a fly on the wall in El Segundo this month. Would love to hear the debate.