Finding a diamond in the rough during the second round of the NBA Draft is an artform that not everyone can be great at. In all fairness to the scouting teams, the selection process is an imperfect system.
If the NBA Draft was an exact science, players like Nikola Jokic, Manu Ginobili, Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, etc. would never slip to the second round. However, there are immeasurable qualities that always leave room for a great story of the player who seemingly came out of nowhere.
The Los Angeles Lakers will only have one pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Their first-round selection belongs to the Atlanta Hawks after changing ownership a couple of times after the Anthony Davis trade.
Pick number 55 will be the only one that is currently at Rob Pelinka's disposal. The Lakers will need to make the most of it in their efforts to build a contender around Luka Doncic this summer.
Lakers can use 55 to offer a solution to a well-known problem
Fansided's full 60-pick mock draft featured the Lakers using their late second-round pick to address a familiar concern. The mock had Los Angeles selecting Mouhamed Faye with the 55th overall pick.
Faye is a center prospect who played internationally for the past two seasons in the Italian Lega Basket Serie A with Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia. The mold in which the young center is build would be similar to a lot of trade targets that have been connected to the Lakers.
The Senegalese prospect has strong size and even better athleticism. Offensively, Faye is still raw, but the ability to produce as an effective rim runner is already there for the young big man. The 20-year-old averaged 9.0 points per game at a field goal percentage of 65.3.
Catching lobs from Doncic and serving as an outlet to the Lakers superstar point guard offensively should allow Faye some playing time and value on the offensive side. However, other areas of the basketball court are where the most intrigue is found with his game.
Faye averaged 6.8 rebounds in his 20.9 minutes per game this past season. When adjusting that for per-36 numbers, that is good for 11.7 rebounds a night. No one is expected the young prospect to have those kind of minutes early on, but it does offer insight into how effective Faye is.
The athletic big man also averaged 1.5 blocks per game in his pre-draft campaign. Faye displayed plenty of upside as a rim protector and anchor, while also showcasing himself to be capable for his size when being forced to guard in space.
The Lakers will certainly not be lacking in options of addressing the concerns in the frontcourt. Using pick number 55 on Faye should be viewed as another one of those potential solutions.