The week leading up to Thursday’s draft will be nothing short of torturous. Teams will lean one way, then another, only to sway back the other way, and eventually stand straight up, you’d think.
-== Best Lakers Draft Pick & Free Agent Pairings ==-
Monday morning, it was Chad Ford’s turn to figure out which direction the Lakers are leaning with their pick, and he did so with this tweet.
Hearing Lakers settling in on Jahlil Okafor at No. 2. Told 70-30 they'd take him on Friday. Up to 80-20 today.
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) June 22, 2015
Say what you will about Okafor’s potential in comparison to guys like D’Angelo Russell or Kristaps Porzingis; but he could potentially be an actual game changer.
The NBA has seen a shift toward the tiny in recent years, leaving a potential market inequality. If Okafor is the low post scorer most think him to be, and can polish up his defense, the Lakers could have something no one else in the league can boast: a dominant big man.
Which brings us back to teams leaning one way over the other. Ford explains the shift with possibilities, right? Who’s to say the Lakers don’t wake up tomorrow and dial that probability down to 70-30 again? But, with a report coming earlier Monday that the Minnesota Timberwolves have informed Karl-Anthony Towns he’ll be selected first, the draft is starting to take shape.
Still, the question begs asking: Can it be Thursday evening already?