NCAA Tournament 2016: 5 Midwest Region Players for Lakers to Watch

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Feb 20, 2016; Spokane, WA, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Domantas Sabonis (11) reacts after missing a shot against the Saint Mary’s Gaels during the second half at McCarthey Athletic Center. The Gaels won 63-58. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Domantas Sabonis

Perhaps there is a bit of personal bias in this pick because I love his game, but Gonzaga Bulldogs sophomore forward-center Domantas Sabonis is a player that the Lakers and every team in the league should have their eyes on in the NCAA Tournament. However, he’s also a bit of an interesting case because of the decision that he’ll have at the end of the this season.

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In 32 games as a sophomore, Sabonis—yes, he is the son of former Portland Trail Blazer Arvydas Sabonis—was incredibly productive. The big man for Gonzaga put up 17.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 61.1 percent from the floor. He’s tremendously skilled as an offensive player for a 20 year old with his size and has grown into his body even more from his freshman to sophomore seasons. More than that, his knack for reading missed shots and getting into position on the boards is phenomenal.

The interesting thing with Sabonis, though, is that he’s projected to fall in the late first-round. While that would obviously make him a non-option for the Lakers, there’s also the chance that he would elect to return to the Zags as a junior to further improve his draft stock. Whatever the case, though, he’s too talented of a player for the Lakers or any NBA team in any situation to not have their eye on—especially given LA’s need to add depth to their frontcourt.

Next: No. 1 Jakob Poeltl

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