We are less than three weeks away from the start of the NBA Draft. For the Los Angeles Lakers, they have a lot of things to address. From the head coach (will it be Dan Hurley?) to LeBron James (is he actually going to stay), the draft has not been in the back of Lakers fans’ minds. But, it should be, regardless of if James remains a Laker or not. The team around James and/or Anthony Davis consists of a lot of question marks, with guys like D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura not stepping up when the lights shined the brightest.
With that said, this team needs an injection of youth into their roster. Teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets have young guys that help their team make noise in the playoffs and shine. The Lakers need to take note, instead of relying on strictly veteran players.
The first of a few, here is my Lakers Mock Draft 1.0. Los Angeles has two picks in this year’s draft: 17th and 55th overall. Let’s get into it.
17th Overall: PG Jared McCain, Duke
No, Bronny James isn’t the selection here. Not just because it’s too early. Rather, the amount of proven talent on the board at 17th overall is far more available to the point where you can wait to draft LeBron’s son.
So, McCain was the selection here. The one-and-done guard is just 20-years-old but is an outstanding shooter. At 6’3″, he is a combo guard who can play on or off the ball. Whether it’s in the midrange or from beyond the arc, he is a scoring threat.
Despite being a point guard, he is not much of a facilitator. His 1.9 assists per game was among the worst at his position last season. But, he does have solid vision and can be another ball-handler for a Lakers team that cannot keep running LeBron to the ground as they did last year.
His defense also stands out, as he is a solid on and off-ball defender who can keep up with the best of them. At the end of the day, the Lakers need someone like him: a shooting threat at all three levels of the court. McCain would be a great selection here and will have time to develop into an even better player.
Pick 55: C N’Faly Dante, Oregon
Nope, we’re not going with James either (spoiler: he went undrafted in the mock draft so the Lakers can easily get him after the draft ends).
More importantly, let’s focus on Dante. After tearing his ACL in 2020 as a sophomore, the center has responded with three solid seasons. This stands true last season when the former Oregon Duck averaged 17.0 PPG and 9.2 RPG. On the defensive end, he averaged 1.9 BPG and 1.7 SPG.
A guy that competes at both ends of the court, he will immediately be an elite defender for a team already anchored by Anthony Davis. Having Dante could lead to a lineup where Davis is at power forward and Dante at center. Though he isn’t polished offensively, Dante will be able to crash the boards, grab offensive rebounds, and put the ball back into the basket. It will take time to get the jumper ready for the professional level, but the potential is there.
Make sure to visit Belly Up Sports every week and follow me on Twitter/X! Also, check out me and my co-host Brian Germinaro on the Third and Ten Podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts!
Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images
