Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings

Mar 18, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay of Prime Prep Academy poses for a portrait. He is a finalist for the USA Today Player of the Year Award. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Emmanuel Mudiay: Kevin Love

The top four NBA teams in threes made this season?  Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers.  Sounds pretty familiar.  The four best three-point shooting teams happen to be the four teams left in the NBA playoffs.  Moral of the story is that three-point shooting has become a necessity to building championship teams.

Mudiay is known for his athleticism, and his shooting numbers from his twelve games played for the Guangdong Southern Tigers aren’t very impressive.  Mudiay shot just 57.4% from the free throw line, but actually shot a decent 34.2% from three.  However, “decent” three-point shooting won’t cut it in the NBA.

Even if Mudiay improves his jumpshot, his game will always be centered on getting to the basket, and that requires floor spacing.  Here is where Kevin Love makes his impact.  Not saying that Love is ONLY a floor spacer, but his outside shot would definitely compliment Mudiay’s ability to get to the basket, and vice versa.  Mudiay and Love would make a deadly pick and pop combination.

Love, who is out for the rest of the playoffs due to a shoulder injury, has made it clear that he is not very happy with his role in Cleveland.  Love will definitely be interested in offers from other teams, including his hometown Lakers.  The Kevin Love to the Lakers rumors have been going on for years now, and if the Lakers select Mudiay, Love can arrive at the perfect time.

Next: Versatility Is Key