1. Wendell Moore Jr.
Wendell Moore Jr. Is definitely an exciting player and much more of a household name than Williams. Playing at Duke for three years, Moore Jr. has been under the spotlight his entire college career. Moore Jr. had a fantastic junior season averaging 13.4 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.4 APG and 1.4 SPG. Moore was often overlooked due to being teammates with Paolo Banchero, but man, did he ball out.
Moore Jr. has been described as a 3&D-type forward. While this is very true, Moore Jr. shot 41% from three and is a great defender. I believe there’s a lot more to his game that people are overlooking. Moore Jr. has some strong playmaking abilities ranking top 20 in the ACC these past two seasons. This includes a fourth-place finish this season. Moore had a fantastic assist to turnover ratio at 2.3.
Moore Jr. can also score the ball from all places on the court. His true shooting percentage ranked 9th in the ACC at 60%. His mid-range game is solid as he has a nice pull-up mid-range shot. He also possesses great length, which helps him at the rim.
Moore Jr. would be a fantastic fit for the Lakers. We all know that LeBron James has thrived in his career when playing with players like Moore Jr. As stated earlier, Moore Jr. could be so much more with proper coaching.
He has a chance to come in right away and contribute to this team. His defense on the perimeter is something this team desperately needs. His length allows him to contest shooters and steal the ball from opposing players.
The main reason Moore Jr. is not a first-round pick is due to his first two years at Duke. Some scouts are afraid he is a one-year wonder. His first two years were filled with struggles, but through hard work and training, he has become an excellent basketball player.
While this is worrisome the Lakers may just need to take that gamble to find this year’s draft steal. Moore ranks 30th on the consensus big board, so he could slip into the second round.