Los Angeles Lakers must draft Jarrett Culver if available
If the Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity, they must select Texas Tech guard, Jarrett Culver in the 2019 NBA Draft.
The Los Angeles Lakers were the second biggest winners on draft night. New Orleans shocked many when they won the draft lottery, making a jump from a potential seventh pick. Los Angeles went from 11th to fourth. If the Lakers decide to draft a prospect instead of trading it, they must go with Jarrett Culver.
Assuming Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and R.J. Barrett are gone, Culver will be a strong choice here. The 6’6″ wing from Texas Tech can fit in comfortably at either wing spot alongside Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram.
Los Angeles will have some strong options here with De’Andre Hunter, Darius Garland, Cam Reddish, and Colby White. Hunter is a three-and-D wing, Garland can score the ball and has a lot of range. Then you have Reddish, who has size and range, and White who is a combo guard with an excellent shot.
It won’t be easy, but Jarrett Culver makes a lot of sense for many reasons. With the Red Raiders, the sophomore averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. The sophomore wing was by far the best player on a Red Raiders team that lost in the National Championship game against Virginia.
Jarrett Culver went for 15 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in the overtime loss. He was constantly getting keyed in on against a stingy Cavaliers defense as he went 5-of-22 from the field. A positive is that he had 12 of his 15 points in the final 16 minutes of the second half, helping his team erase a double-digit deficit.
In the NCAA tourney (six games), he averaged 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. The thing that makes Culver an intriguing prospect is that he’s so well-rounded and appears to have quite the work ethic.
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An example of this is his progression in two years. As a freshman, he averaged 1.8 assists and shot 65 percent free throws. In year two, those numbers jumped up to 3.7 assists per game and 71 percent.
Culver impacts the game in many different areas on a daily basis. He’s a versatile defender who can defend multiple wing spots. On offense, he is an improving passer who can score from different areas, particularly with a sweet pull-up from 15-20 feet.
One area he must continue to improve is his range. In two years at Texas Tech, he shot 34 percent from deep. This is where the Lakers will stress for him to improve as they ranked 29th in 3-point percentage (33%).
Culver showed progression in his iso game. His game this year at times reminded me of a young Joe Johnson. The 20-year-old can finish at the basket as well with a variety of moves.
On defense, he showed flashes throughout the season. Culver did a terrific job at reading the opposition with a variety of deflections and the occasional block (21 blocks). He averaged an impressive 1.5 steals this season.
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While nobody knows who the Lakers will go with, one thing is certain they will get a terrific young player in Jarrett Culver.