Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings

Apr 6, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Justise Winslow holds up a piece of the net after defeating the Wisconsin Badgers in the 2015 NCAA Men

Justise Winslow/Stanley Johnson: LaMarcus Aldridge

If the Draft Lottery is a bit cruel to the Lakers, Mitch Kupchak may have to focus all of his attention on these two small forward prospects.  Say the Lakers are given the 5th pick, it is a guarantee that at least one of these players will still be left on the board.  Regardless of who the Lakers selected, they would ultimately end up with the same type of player.  A strong, athletic wing player with defensive stopper written all over him, and some potential to be a solid scoring option. So because these two players are so similar, I decided to put them together.

Unlike the previous four prospects, Winslow and Johnson are so high on draft boards almost solely because of their defense.  Both of these players are solid outside shooters, and great finishers, but will take some time to develop a full offensive repertoire.  So if the Lakers select one of these two players, they will still have to find a go-to offensive option for the future.  That is exactly what Lamarcus Aldridge is.  Aldridge has finished top eight in the league in scoring in each of the last two seasons, and has managed to shoot the ball at a solid percentage.

Aldridge has become a beloved figure in Portland, but his time in Rip City may be coming to an end. After saying just a year ago that he wanted to become the best to ever play in Portland, recent reports have made it clear that Aldridge is willing to listen to other offers.

This duo of Winslow/Johnson and Aldridge, is not based on how they compliment each other, but how they make up for each other’s weaknesses.  Aldridge is an average defender at best, while Winslow and Johnson both have the potential to be All-NBA defenders.  Meanwhile, Winslow and Johnson are both going to need some time to develop their ability to score the ball, which shouldn’t be an issue if the Lakers can rely on Aldridge to lead the offense in the future.