Among all the steals the Los Angeles Lakers got in the last years’ drafts, Isaac Bonga passed as an unusual under-the-radar selection. However, he may eventually result in another front office masterpiece.
It took everyone by surprise when the Los Angeles Lakers used the 39th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft to select essentially unknown prospect, Isaac Bonga from Germany.
The Lakers scouting department saw the potential in an 18-year-old kid who, at 6’8″, played point guard for the Frankfurt Skyliners in Germany’s top basketball league.
His physical gifts are certainly what most catches the eye. He is long, athletic and has good control of his body. Add the fact that he already carried playmaking duties for his former team and you have pulled off a potential point forward, the most valuable role in the game today.
It sounds like a smart idea for the Lakers to take, with a second round pick, any possible chance to get a long-term project which could end up becoming something more than a low-tier player in the league.
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That is exactly what the Milwaukee Bucks did in 2013, drafting a young Greek kid who showed some flash of potential. They took some risk picking a project with potential which required time and patience.
Giannis Antetokounmpo started with a quiet 6.8 points per game in his rookie season at 19 years old. However, he saw constant growth through the following years, until becoming the MVP candidate, who now storms the league with his triple-double performances.
Bonga is probably not going to see much, if any, action at all this season. He is still young and raw and has a long way to go, but it is impressive how fast he is improving and adapting to the NBA game.
In a few months, he passed from an ineffective rookie in Summer League to dropping 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists in preseason on the defending champions Golden State Warriors.
Watching how well he runs the floor with the ball and his ability to get to the rim it is very much understandable why the Lakers decided to take a chance at him.
Even his shot, not certainly one of his strengths coming from Europe, looks already incredibly polished and consistent considering the short time spent with Lakers coaching staff.
Judging by this video of him practicing at UCLA training facility a month ago, his solid stroke promises, with some more time of practice, a future reliable jump shot.
It looks like, given the right amount of time, Isaac could experience a growth similar to the one Antetokounmpo did and turn into something very useful for the Lakers.
Bonga has already shown how dominant he can be early in the NBA G League season, scoring 27 points against the Stockton Kings.
I am not saying he is going to become as good as Giannis is, but he might follow a similar path in the development process; constantly improving every year and earning more and more playing time, without the pressure of having to carry a franchise.