Lakers Rumors: De’Andre Hunter considered at No. 4 pick in mock drafts
By Ronald Agers
DeAndre Hunter brings something that the Lakers lack; versatility!
Let’s set the table of the context of this upcoming analysis. Based on reports seen, De’Andre Hunter has been compared to a young Kawhi Leonard (better be that Leonard that was drafted by Indiana and traded on draft night, not the one that’s playing now!) and Mikal Bridges, who got hot in the NCAA’s and parlayed it into a lottery pick weeks later.
As Lakers fans, you may not agree with this statement, but Hunter can probably help the Lakers better than the other players on the board.
To the half of the readers ready to stop reading and the other half thinking of a slick comment, think of it this way.
De’Andre Hunter is the type of player that the Los Angeles Lakers desperately need. A glue guy, a swiss-army type guy that can defend multiple positions.
In the analytics age, fans tend to look at the scoring averages and start making opinions. But as you witnessed last year, there were plenty players on this roster that had no issues putting the ball up.
Somebody in the rotation is going to have to do things that don’t show up on stat sheets. De’Andre Hunter is that guy.
DeAndre Hunter is a guy that can “multi-task” while on the floor potentially for the Lakers. He can get a bucket, guard the 1-4 positions, play the isolation game to get his own shot, grab offensive rebounds and my personal favorite, knock down catch and shoot jumpers.
Let’s compare that potential to players on the roster, shall we?
Kyle Kuzma:
Can score the ball with the best of them when hot. We can call up the Detroit Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers who witnessed his explosions up close. Played well enough on the wing when Lonzo Ball was healthy that he was considered Robin to LeBron’s Batman.
However, Kuzma struggled from the 3-point line, his assists were non-existent at times during the season, especially when he was hot.
Finally, Kuzma played spotty defense. His defense was so bad at times, JaVale McGee had to fall on the sword and get benched for the Lakers defensive woes. Plus, his ball handling needs work. If Kuz is scoring well, everything else tends to fall by the wasteside.
Brandon Ingram:
Look, this dude is the Lakers best asset going forward going into the future if he fully recovers from his blood clot issues. The upside of this guy’s game is unknown and that is a good thing.
He lost his “Untouchable” label early in the season and SNATCHED it back a couple of months before his condition sidelined him.
However, Ingram plays inconsistent defense. Not that he can’t play it but he does not bring it every night. Also his playmaking abilities have to improve. His 3-point shot is lacking, but unlike Kyle Kuzma, Ingram is helping to bring back the importance of the mid range game.
Lonzo Ball:
Best on ball defender and playmaker (chemistry wise with the other young players) on the team. He pushes the pace and before he got hurt, the Lakers were making a run for the playoffs.
However, do we really have to talk about shooting? Okay, moving on.
The point is, the Lakers need a player that is not that “star”. The Lakers have enough of those. Now it’s time to start looking at players that check all the boxes on what can be contributed on a team.
The Warriors have stars in Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, but Draymond Green is the straw the stirs the drink doing the dirty work and filling in the cracks.
DeAndre Hunter can be that guy.
Now the downside.