With the 25th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Moritz Wagner. Here are three players that they have chosen over him.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been very successful with their drafting in recent years. In 2017, the Lakers were able to strike gold at the end of the first round, as they selected Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
Both Hart and Kuzma were players that had good college careers, and were clearly ready to play right away in the NBA. While many teams like taking players based on what they might be, the Lakers have been selecting players that are ready to perform rather than trying to hit it big with a prospect.
With their only pick in the first round this year, the Lakers selected Michigan center, Moritz Wagner. After testing the waters of the NBA last season, Wagner went back to school to improve, and he certainly did.
Michigan went on to play in the National Championship Game against Villanova, and while they lost that game, it was a very successful season. In his junior season, Wagner was able to set new career-highs with 14.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. As a stretch forward/center, Wagner should translate nicely to the NBA. However, the Lakers might have reached on him a bit at 25.
While there are certainly things to like about drafting Wagner, reaching for a prospect is never good. Here are three players that the Lakers should have chosen over Wagner with the 25th pick.
– Jevon Carter
One of the glaring needs for the Lakers last season was at backup point guard. When Lonzo Ball missed time due to injuries, the Lakers were forced to use Tyler Ennis and Alex Caruso a lot more than they would have liked. While Caruso could be a good player at the end of the bench, having him as the primary backup point guard might be a bit of a reach.
Surprisingly, the Lakers didn’t take a point guard in the draft, and they passed on a couple of talented ones at 25. The first point guard that they passed on was Jevon Carter from West Virginia.
Carter has earned the reputation of being one of the defensive players in the country over the past few seasons. While Carter made his name on the defensive side of the court, he also emerged as a solid offensive player in his final two seasons at school.
In his senior season, Carter averaged 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, and shot 39 percent from beyond the arc. One of the knocks for Carter coming to the next level is because of his height, but he has proven to be a hard-nosed player, and his strength makes up for whatever he is lacking in height.
– Jalen Brunson
Another player that was likely on the Lakers’ board was Villanova point guard Jalen Brunson. The Lakers reportedly held a private individual workout for Brunson, as he was clearly on their radar.
Adding Brunson would have instantly given the Lakers a solid backup point guard that could run the offense and score in multiple ways. At Villanova last season, Brunson was named the National Player of the Year, and was arguably the best player on a team that had four players drafted, and three of them being in the first round.
Last season, Brunson averaged 18.9 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Considering all of the talent that was on Villanova, Brunson averaging nearly 20 points per game is quite impressive. Brunson showed that he is a very efficient player, as he shot it over 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range.
While Carter would have given the Lakers a boost defensively at guard, adding Brunson would have given them one of the best offensive players in college last season. With the Lakers passing on Carter and Brunson, they likely prioritized adding a center over a guard. However, getting an upgrade for Ennis will be a priority in free agency.
– Robert Williams
When the Lakers came up with Williams on the clock, many had to be expecting them to pull the trigger on him. Williams’ draft stock fell a bit on Draft day, as the big man with lottery potential ended up falling to the Boston Celtics with the 27th pick.
Since Brook Lopez is an unrestricted free agent, getting a center to replace him was certainly a need for the Lakers. As we head toward free agency, the Lakers are more focused on adding players like LeBron James and Paul George, rather than a big man.
Drafting Williams would have given the Lakers a player with a lot of upside, and also a player that could fill a need at center. While Wagner is going to be more of a perimeter player in the NBA, Williams would have provided the Lakers with a solid rim protector and rebounder in the middle. There are certainly positives to both of their games, but Williams has a much higher upside than Wagner.
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While there are some concerns about Williams off-the-court, there is no denying that he could be a special talent. With some good coaching a people around him, Williams could become a very good player in the NBA.