PG: D'Angelo Russell/Jordan Clarkson
SG: Kobe Bryant/Jabari Brown
SF: Anthony Brown/Nick Young
PF: Julius Randle/Larry Nance Jr./Ryan Kelly
C: Robert Sacre/Tarik Black
2015 Free Agents
SG Vander Blue (RFA)
PF Carlos Boozer
PF Ed Davis (player option)
SG Wayne Ellington
C Jordan Hill (team option)
F Wesley Johnson
PG Jeremy Lin
PG Ronnie Price
What They Did On Draft Night
Drafted Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell 2nd overall
A mild surprise, but D'Angelo Russell is certainly a deserving number two overall pick and fits well with what Los Angeles is trying to do with their roster. They want to bring in established superstars that will be the focal point of the offense like DeMarcus Cousins, LeMarcus Aldridge, and Kevin Love, so Russell's ability to shoot the ball will be important because when he'll still provide spacing and value even when he doesn't have the ball. And Russell's ability to pass will also help because guys like Aldridge, Love, and Cousins aren't coming to L.A. to watch Russell shoot. Russell's ability to play either guard spot is also valuable for the Lakers because it gives them flexibility in free agency, say if a certain former UCLA point guard hits the market, and no I don't mean Darren Collison, Defense on the perimeter will probably be an issue for L.A. this coming season regardless of what stars they get, they will need to find a big that can protect the rim and cover up for mistakes on the perimeter, Tyson Chandler perhaps?
Drafted Wyoming power forward Larry Nance Jr. 27th overall
A somewhat less mild surprise, the Lakers took what many consider to be a reach. It isn't so much that Nance is a bad prospect, he certainly would have been drafted, it is where they took him and who else was available that makes this pick questionable. The 22 year-old Nance Jr. is a good athlete that is very effective finishing at the rim (82%) but he doesn't take advantage of that ability very often, instead taking well over half of his shots between the rim and three-point line and converting them at a not great rate (37%). His face-up game is decent, but it is not exactly a weapon that a high level NBA team will want to use very often. I'd say his NBA role would be using his length and athletic ability as a rebounder/shot blocker/finisher, but only showed the ability to really do one of those things; his shot-blocking numbers were below-average and rebounding downright bad. A good steal rate suggests that Nance could be a decent perimeter defender, he has the athletic ability for it, which could be a help on a team that has some poor perimeter defenders. All of this sounds like an good lower-tier prospect, but not the kind of player you give a guaranteed deal to in the first round when better, younger players are available to you. I can't definitely say Nance Jr. has a better chance to succeed than Iowa's Aaron White, who went twenty-two picks later.
Drafted Stanford wing Anthony Brown 34th overall
This is much more like it, Anthony Brown is a far superior prospect to Nance Jr. and would have been good value at twenty-seven. Brown is exactly the type of player the Lakers need, a low usage 3-and-D wing player that has the potential to shoot 40%+ from three and play above-average defense. Players like Brown are crucial for a team like the Lakers who, even if they do absolutely nothing in free agency, already have three starters that can use up a ton of offensive possessions. Russell, Bryant, Randle, and whatever stars they try to acquire will be high usage players who have the ball in their hands quite a bit. Therefore it's important for the other players sharing the court with them to be effective on limited or no touches, which is where Brown's abilities come into play. Brown's ability to shoot the ball will make teams think twice about doubling off them, and make them pay if they do. That space is created whether he touches the ball or not, just by the very threat of giving up and open three-pointer. Brown is a better fit that Nick Young in the starting lineup and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he starts more times than not this season.
What To Do Next
This summer and next will all be about luring stars to L.A, whether it be Aldridge, Love, or any other number of free agents and trade targets. Whatever the Lakers do, they will need to find a defensive anchor in the middle because Bryant, Russell, and Randle may all struggle significantly on the defensive end. They signed UDFA Robert Upshaw, probably the best rim protector in the draft that went undrafted because of his off-court issues. If Upshaw cleans himself up, he could be that anchor but if not L.A. will be looking for someone to cover up their perimeter defensive shortcomings. Tyson Chandler, Robin Lopez, Omer Asik, and Kosta Koufos all could be non-superstar options for them at center. Aside from that, shooting and perimeter defense will need to be a priority. If the Lakers are willing to use some capspace on a non-superstar player, the likes of Danny Green, DeMarre Carroll, or Wes Matthews would really help particularly in those areas. Because he is able to play small forward, Carroll may be the best option of those three.
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