Lakers: Best and Worst-Case Scenarios for the 2016 NBA Draft

Worst-Case Scenario

The worst-case scenario would start with the Lakers making an unexpected choice at number two. This would most likely involve the team passing on Brandon Ingram in favor of Dragan Bender. Bender is a European big man who has been compared heavily to Kristaps Porzingis.

Although the Lakers could definitely use a player like Bender, who has the length to protect the rim and the ability to space the floor on offense, losing out on one of the top two players would be a huge loss. Even if Dragan Bender was a virtual clone of Porzingis, Brandon Ingram would still be the better pick at number two.

To make matters worse, Bender has been widely evaluated as being an inferior prospect to Porzingis, with significant concerns about his strength and athleticism. Picking Bender here would be a reach, and would be foregoing the chance to add a can’t miss player in Simmons or Ingram.

Picking Bender would also make things more difficult in the second round, where the Lakers would most likely have to shun the draft’s deep class of big men. Instead, they would most likely look for a defensive minded guard or wing like Gary Payton II or Malcolm Brogdon. While these two are solid players, they aren’t quite at the level of the big men who may be available early in the second round.

Next: Lakers: 5 Draft Prospects to Consider at No. 32

All things considered, the worst-case scenario for the Lakers wouldn’t truly be all that bad. They would still be able to add a high upside big man in the first, and a solid contributor in the second, which for most teams would be considered a victory. The moral of the story here is, as long as the Lakers keep the pick, things should turn out okay. If they stick to the script and pick a wing at number two though, things could go a lot better than that.