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Los Angeles Lakers: Grading their 2018 draft selections

By Dominic Torres

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Moritz Wagner poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted 25th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Moritz Wagner poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted 25th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers
BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 21: Moe Wagner is selected twenty-fifth overall by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21, 2018 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Ashlee Espinal/NBAE via Getty Images) /

With much of the team in question with a due overhaul next season, the Los Angeles Lakers selected three players in this year’s NBA draft.

The draft is a crapshoot. We hear it all the time, and yes it may be repetitive, but it’s a good habit to always keep in mind.

In this year’s MIT Sloan Conference, where some of the top names in sports spoke on various topics, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said we were “as a league, getting worse at drafting.” It struck me. How could such a concept tantalize the most-knowing league fan Nonetheless, it seems now that each prospect may reach their full potential. That won’t be the case for many.

This year’s draft was filled with many surprises. Luka Doncic, arguably the most-hyped prospect, is headed to Dallas. Trae Young fulfilled Quavo’s wishes of him joining Atlanta. Clippers advisor (and blackboard executive personnel scout) Jerry West took Jerome Robinson at 13. Michael Porter Jr., the top high school prospect last year, is now headed to Denver at 14.

With the Los Angeles Lakers intent on sparking a playoff run next year, they needed to nail the draft, well-knowing that all of their prospects might not be in the NBA for the long-run. Last year, the Lakers nailed their draft class. After selecting Lonzo Ball to be the franchise “savior and superstar,” they stole forward Kyle Kuzma from Utah and combo guard Josh Hart from Villanova in the late first round. Both late-round players turned out to be fantastic rookies with a ceiling of a rotational player.

By letter grades, how did President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka do in the draft? We will look into their intangibles, pre-professional careers, and draft placement to determine each grade.

"All statistics, measures, and draft analysis if not otherwise mentioned are from Jonathan Givony (DraftExpress/ESPN), NBADraft.net, and NCAA Statistics."

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