Evaluating Four Lakers Draft Prospects
The 2020 NBA Draft is slated to occur in October instead of its usual June slot. With the Lakers having the second-best record in the league, they will be picking 28th in the draft. The probability of them selecting a guard or small forward is very high, given that another young ball-handler is one of their biggest needs.
With that in mind, I viewed five different mock draft sites and found four intriguing prospects. I’ll be comparing their statistics and shooting splits from their college careers as well as including an overview of what the scouting reports say.
*All stats for these players were found on Sports-Reference CBB.
- Nico Mannion, 6’2”, PG, Arizona (Projected via Bleacher Report)
What NBADraft.net says:
- Good footwork & change of speed
- Good ball-handling
- Can make one-handed passes
- “Doesn’t have great size & length with a 6’2.5 wingspan and an 8’1.5 standing reach”
- Smooth yet not explosive
2. Cassius Winston, 6’0”, PG, Michigan State (Projected via NBC Sports & CBS Sports)
What NBC Sports Says:
- High basketball IQ
- Elite passer & shooter; “thrives in ball screens”
- Concerns about defense & athleticism
What CBS Sports Says:
- “Great in pick-and-roll situations”
- High-level shooter
- Could serve as a backup point guard
3. Cassius Stanley, 6’6”, G, Duke (Projected by NBADraftRoom.com)
What NBADraftRoom.com Says:
- Elite athlete who can “jump through the roof”
- Great vision & one-handed passes
- Improved handles, nice shot form
- Very competitive
- NBA Comparison: Derrick White (PG for San Antonio Spurs)
4. Elijah Hughes, 6’6”, SG/SF, Syracuse (Projected by NBADraft.net)
What NBADraft.net Says:
- “Nice explosiveness”; able to finish in open court
- “Has solid scoring ability and versatility”
- Improving as a shooter
- Small-ball wing; gets blocked when using finger-roll
- Concerns about defense
- NBA Comparison: Malik Beasley (guard for Minnesota Timberwolves)
My Opinion
Through these analyses, I have found that Cassius Winston would be the best fit for the purple-and-gold. His amazing abilities as a playmaker, ball-handler, and shooter can complement the Lakers’ “run-and-gun” style of play very well. Like all rookies, he will continue to improve on his defense and athleticism as time goes on, but shows promises of fitting into Frank Vogel’s system from the get-go.
SOURCES
“2020 Mock Draft”. NBADraft.net. https://www.nbadraft.net/nba-mock-drafts/
“2020 NBA Mock Draft”. NBA Draft Room. https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2020-nba-mock-draft/
Dauster, Rob. “2020 NBA Mock Draft 3.0: Is James Wiseman the №1 overall pick?”. NBC Sports. July 6, 2020. https://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2020/07/06/2020-nba-mock-draft-3-0-is-james-wiseman-the-no-1-overall-pick/
Parrish, Gary. “2020 NBA Mock Draft: LaMelo Ball goes №1 as Warriors pick prospect with the highest upside”. CBS Sports. July 6, 2020. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2020-nba-mock-draft-lamelo-ball-goes-no-1-as-warriors-pick-prospect-with-the-highest-upside/
