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Why the Lakers Should Take D’Angelo Russell Over Okafor

By Matthew Patterson

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There are still 21 days until the draft, and Laker fans seem set that Jahlil Okafor will be the one selected with the second overall pick.  Nothing can be certain, considering that the Lakers have not yet gotten the chance to work out some of the top prospects.  One thing that is safe to assume is that the Minnesota Timberwolves will grab Karl-Anthony Towns with their top pick.  This leaves the Lakers with three elite prospects to decide on: D’Angelo Russell, Okafor, and Emmanuel Mudiay.

-== How The Top 5 NBA Prospects Fit With The Lakers ==-

To start, I will say this.  Russell and Okafor are two of the most talented players at their positions that the draft has seen in quite some time, so Mudiay should not be in the same conversation as these two elite prospects.  There is just absolutely no way, given the current Lakers team, that they could afford to pass up on such talent.  With the elimination of Mudiay, there is still a huge decision to make in the Lakers front office.  One of these two players are going to be given the keys to the kingdom.  They will be asked to add to the sixteen championship banners that hang in Staples Center.  But who will be the one?

Personally, I love both of these prospects.  They both have NBA-ready games, including self-confidence and a special swagger to them that gives them an edge on the court.  They both make the game look so easy, with their smooth and fundamental styles of playing the game of basketball.  However, only one of these two players’ game fits the modern NBA: D’Angelo Russell.

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In the this year’s postseason, there were four teams that truly separated themselves from the rest: The Cavs, Clippers, Rockets, and Warriors.  And the reason for their dominance?  LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, James Harden, and the Splash Bros.  Notice that there is not one back to the basket player on this list.  Take a look at the big men for these teams: Timofey Mozgov, DeAndre Jordan, Dwight Howard, and Andrew Bogut.  All of these centers make their living off of one thing: defense.  The one area where Jahlil Okafor has shown some weakness.  The NBA is all about the guards now, and a big man’s primary role is either to A. Space the floor or B. Defend and Rebound.  Take a look at the Memphis Grizzlies.  Since 2011, the Grizzlies have continuously tried to win by throwing the ball in the post, and working inside-out, and despite having two bruising post players, come up short in the playoffs every year.

I’m not saying that having a post-up player is a bad thing.  What I am saying that defense and rebounding comes first for centers in this league, everything else is icing on the cake.  The last team to win a title that was built around a low-post big man was the 2007 San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan.  Since then, its all about the wing players, plus Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 whose game is still focused around the perimeter.

The Miami Heat made it to four straight Finals appearances without a center.  Why?  Because they had the best perimeter players.  Which is where my case for D’Angelo Russell starts.

The past eight years of NBA basketball have been dominated by Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade.  Now, the torch has been passed on to Stephen Curry and James Harden.  When a building a championship team, its all about the skill players.

D’Angelo Russell brings so much to the table as a potential franchise player.  He is an elite ball-handler and passer, as well as a high percentage shooter.  His defense isn’t anything special, but his size (6’5″ with a 6’9″ wingspan) should help stay somewhat competitive on the defensive end.  The great thing about Russell is his “I am better than you” attitude that he brings to every game.  Look at guys like Curry, Harden, Westbrook, and even LeBron.  They are obviously cocky, and rightfully so.  If a player is great,they should act great.  Russell is not afraid of any stage, and has shown that he is fully confident in his abilities to dominate a basketball game.

Russell is the ideal player to build a franchise around in today’s NBA game.  It’s all about the dynamic, versatile perimeter players that can do just about everything.  Russell posted near triple-doubles with ease in the Big Ten conference, playing again some of the top programs in the nation.

But then again, Jahlil Okafor put up some ridiculous numbers in the much more competitive ACC.  However, this article is not taking away from the greatness of Okafor.  He is probably the most NBA-ready big man to enter the draft since Tim Duncan, but that’s not the issue.  The issue is that in today’s league, wing players win championships, not the bigs.   If the Lakers are looking to select a player that will potentially bring this team back to championship level, Russell would be the much better choice, despite the greatness of Jahlil.

Some may say, what about Jordan Clarkson?  I recently stated in a article that Clarkson and Russell could not play together, and I still stand by that.  Clarkson’s inability to space the floor would make him a useless weapon on the offensive end when playing with Russell.  Russell could space the floor, but is much better with the ball in his hands.  Clarkson had a great rookie year, but when the Lakers are this bad, they should not hesitate to grab the best player available, regardless of who is on the current roster.  Clarkson is solid, but he will never bring the Lakers a championship.  Not saying Russell will, but it’s safe to say that he has a better chance.

Everybody raves about the history of the Lakers big men, and how Okafor could be the next in-line.  Well let’s not forget about the all-time great guards that have played for the Lakers: Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and now, it’s D’Angelo time.

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