Mar 27, 2014; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Zach LaVine (14) lays the ball up defended by Florida Gators forward Will Yeguete (15) during the first half in the semifinals of the south regional of the 2014 NCAA Mens Basketball Championship tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Zach LaVine was part of the huge combine in Los Angeles. He recently participated in another workout for the Denver Nuggets. While he may be considered a reach at #7, his draft measurements, athletic testing, and ability to shoot, may be too convincing to pass up.
While the Lakers are aware of his abilities from his workout and interview in Los Angeles, the level of consistency throughout the workouts is starting to show. Every team out there will be looking for the same thing. Every team wants a chance at an elite level athlete, with the right size, the upside to defend, and the ability to knock down perimeter shots.
There is a possibility out there that he may be considered a “workout warrior.” Workout warriors tend to excel at individual drills. When it comes to the basketball court in 5 -on-5 situations, all of that talent gets hidden away. The individual workouts include athleticism testing and shooting drills, both of which LaVine excels at.
There are other players who may not have as much athleticism as LaVine, but do make the most of it. Marcus Smart doesn’t have the same level of shake off-the-dribble or outright basketball speed end-to-end, but he makes the most of it. It shows with his five tools defensively; height, strength, wingspan, vertical, and lateral quickness. Smart still has room to grow as an offensive player, but he was a #1 option for Oklahoma State and is slowly improving his playmaking skills.
Let’s not forget that Zach LaVine is 19 years old. Marcus Smart is 20 years old. Both players have youth on their side to work on their development as Laker players.