Lakers Draft Grades 2016: Brandon Ingram

Obviously this pick is going to get an A for the Lakers. It was the obvious pick, it was the smart pick, and it’s a pick that is almost surely going to work out in their favor.

When you look at the Lakers roster right now, their two most apparent holes in the roster are undoubtedly at the small forward position and at center. With no centers worth taking at No. 2 available, though, taking a player in Ingram who immediately slots into that small forward position is the only logical selection for them.

Moreover, the upside that Ingram brings to the table features him doing all of the things that the Lakers are seriously lacking right now. They struggle to get points from the perimeter and struggle in regards to defending basically all over the floor. Ingram’s game starts formulating an answer to the questions that the team has in those two areas.

While there’s always an inherent risk when it comes to the NBA Draft, you have to think that Ingram is just about as safe of a pick as there is in this draft class and he’s a player that maximizes the value of the No. 2 overall pick. For all those reasons, the Lakers get top marks on their first round pick without a second thought about it.