Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons to draft Jalen Brunson

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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 01: 2018 Citizen Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Jalen Brunson of the Villanova Wildcats poses with head coach Jay Wright and the 2018 Citizen Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year trophy during the 2018 Naismith Awards Brunch at the Pearl Stable on April 1, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

– Top player in college

Considering how many great players there were in college this season, when it came to on-court production, Brunson was just as good as any of the elite prospects. On the best team in the country, Brunson was the best player for them.

Last season, Brunson averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. As a scorer, Brunson was very efficient, as he shot over 40 percent from deep, over 50 percent from the field, and over 80 percent from the free-throw line.

At about 6’2”/6’3”, Brunson was one of the best post players in the country, as his size did not stop him from going down low. Post play is a forgotten art in the NBA, and you very rarely see it from a guard. However, Brunson was able to shoot from anywhere on the court and hurt defenders in multiple ways.

Brunson’s great junior season resulted in him being named the Big East Player of the Year and also the AP Player of the Year. Since Brunson isn’t a freshman or a huge guard, his draft stock has been hurt a bit. However, he has gone toe-to-toe with some great guards in his time with Villanova and has never looked out-matched.

As the defending Player of the Year in college, getting Brunson this late in the draft would be a great addition to the Lakers.

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