If the draft were to be held today, my money will be on the Lakers selecting Jahlil Okafor with the second overall pick. The Lakers still have about two weeks to make the decision, but all signs point to Okafor becoming a Laker in late June.
-== How The Top 5 NBA Prospects Fit With The Lakers ==-
If that is the case, the Lakers will be getting a talented offensive big man that can come in and help right away. The Lakers do not have any big men that are close to Okafor’s talent level, so the 19-year-old could come in and start from the beginning of the season.
The addition of Okafor would give the Lakers a young and promising front-court. The combination of Okafor and Randle would be intriguing and Okafor agreed. According to Mike Trudell of TWC SportsNet, Okafor feels the two lottery picks can work well together and praised Randle’s athleticism:
Jahlil Okafor on Julius Randle: “I think we’d work well together. He’s a great athlete, very versatile and talented.”
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) June 9, 2015
Offensively, the thought of Okafor and Randle in the same front-court is exciting. Both are guys who have gotten this far in their careers because of their ability to dominate inside the paint. If both Randle and Okafor can develop a consistent 15-17 foot jump shot, opposing defenses will have nightmares trying to guard these two big men.
However, defensively is where the Lakers should be concerned. Both Okafor and Randle are not known for their ability to play defense and that’s a red flag. If Okafor and Randle can’t guard the paint and defend the rim, the Lakers will not be returning to contention anytime soon.
Defense is all about effort and discipline and you would hope that these two guys would fully commit themselves to improving defensively. If this is indeed the Lakers front-court for the next several years, Byron Scott is perfect man for the job. He needs to get both of them into shape and embracing playing on the defensive end.