11 Players The Lakers Passed On In The NBA Draft
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Selections 2005-2006
Retroactively gauging success in any draft is an exercise in playing the results. You never know which scouting reports said what, nor whom the Lakers valued at any spot over another. That being said, it is the front office’s job to find gems late or nail their early picks. So, how did the last ten drafts go for the Lakers?
2005:
Andrew Bynum (10th): As much criticism Bynum gets, he really turned into a bargain in the top ten. He made an all-star appearance and played a vital role on two championship teams. Not only that, his development helped bring Kobe Bryant back off the ledge of his trade demands, before the Lakers eventually traded for Pau. (Grade: A).
Ronny Turiaf And Von Wafer (37th and 39th): I’m grouping these two together for simplicity’s sake. Turiaf has enjoyed a lengthy career, having outlast most mid-to-late-thirties picks. Wafer lasted about as long as most players selected at 39 tend to. (Grades: A and C).
Players the Lakers missed: Danny Granger (17th), David Lee (30th), Ersan Ilyasova (36th), Monta Ellis (40th).
2006:
Jordan Farmar (26th): Playing point guard alongside Kobe and in the Triangle Offense was never going to be easy for Farmar. Hoping that a late-first-round draft pick would turn out to be a building block is a stretch, though Farmar’s stints with the Lakers always felt like they were somehow missing something. (Grade: C+)
Chiek Samb (51st): Who? Exactly. Samb would be traded for Detroit and make hardly an impact at all. (Grade: F)
Players the Lakers missed: Paul Millsap (47th).
Next: Dark Times in Laker Land