The NBA Draft is coming up on October 16, which means The Game Haus will be doing draft profiles for each NBA team. Each day, a new team will be analyzed for their past season, their team needs, and projected targets. Today, the Los Angeles Lakers will be evaluated.
Summary
The Lakers kicked off their best season in recent memory with a massive trade that shook the NBA landscape. LA moved Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and three first-round draft picks to New Orleans for the NBA’s best big man Anthony Davis. Along with LeBron James, this gave them a duo of two of the best five players in the league, a feat not seen since the days of Shaq and Kobe.
The dynamic duo predictably dominated from the start. The Lakers had the best record in the western conference this season at 52-19 and both Davis and James made first-team All-NBA, becoming the first pair of teammates to do since Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire in 2006-2007.
In the playoffs, things have been no different. After rolling through the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers in five games, the Lakers have a matchup with the upstart Denver Nuggets for a spot in the NBA Finals. And for a team with this much talent, anything less than a finals appearance will be a massive disappointment.
Picks
The Los Angeles Lakers Have One Pick in the 2020 NBA Draft
First Round: Pick No.28
Team Needs
Outside Shooting: The Lakers one absolutely glaring weakness this season was their absolute season. While Anthony Davis and LeBron James are both NBA Superstars, neither are consistent long-range shooters, and the players around them are not consistent enough at hitting the deep ball. They ranked in the bottom ten in 3 pointers made, attempted, and 3 point percentage this season.
A Small Forward: The Lakers don’t really have a real starting small forward. They’ve resorted to playing smaller guys like Danny Green and Avery Bradley or larger players like Markieff Morris into the role and none of them have been great options. A natural small forward who can hit shots would be a great addition to the team.
Projected Target
Round 1 Pick No. 28: Desmond Bane, SG (TCU)
Although he is one of the oldest players in the draft, Desmond Bane’s stellar performance this season at TCU attracted attention from many NBA front offices. As of now, he’s projected as a late first-round pick, right around the Lakers selection.
:no_upscale()/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-dmn.s3.amazonaws.com/public/YKJTBRNRHNEIXFO4TES32O6SBY.jpg)
He’s a deadly and consistent three-point shooter who shot over 43 percent from downtown over the course of his college career. As a defender, Bane brings decent reach and quick hands which allowed him to average a steal and a half a game last season. Bane is a solid secondary playmaker and averaged almost 4 assists per game last season.
With the 28th pick, Bane gives Los Angeles a solid scorer and facilitator who can play either shooting guard or small forward in some situations.Â
All stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference and NBA.com
Thanks for reading the Los Angeles Lakers Draft Profile! You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers like Spencer!
‘From our Haus to yours’