The point guard spot was a major concern for the Los Angeles Lakers at certain points last season. So they could use one of their picks in the draft to improve their depth at the position.
Heading into last season’s NBA draft, Los Angeles Lakers fans were buzzing about the team drafting a point guard with number two overall selection. They ultimately went with the local product Lonzo Ball out of UCLA.
Ball had an up and down season but was still named second-team all-rookie, so he is presumably entrenched as the starting point guard, barring any offseason trade.
However, the Lakers have next to nothing beyond Ball under contract at point guard going into next season. Ball also missed 30 games due to injury last season, putting Tyler Ennis and Alex Caruso into larger roles than expected. That kind of uncertainty at point guard is troublesome in a league that is loaded with stars at the position.
This year’s class of point guards is not as highly touted as other positions in the draft, but it is deep with players worth drafting. The Lakers are dreaming if they want Luka Doncic, Trae Young, or Collin Sexton because they will be off the board by the time they pick. However, they could still get a decent player who could break into the rotation next season.
The ideal candidate for the Lakers to draft would be a guard that can shoot the three and could defend either guard spot. They should also look for someone who can push the pace like Ball on offense.
The Lakers have two picks, one in the late first round at pick 25 and one in the second round at pick 47. Last season when they were in a similar position and ended up with Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart, who both were starters at one point in the season. Hopefully, for Lakers fans, they can add two more pieces capable of making the same impact next season.