With No. 2 pick, Lakers look to draft player who can 'help us right away'
There's quite a bit of pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, as a shot at a potential superstar in the draft doesn't usually present itself for the purple and gold. The Lakers have held a top-10 pick just five times dating back to the selection of Magic Johnson in 1979. Only two of those occurrences were top-three picks -- both No. 1, used on Johnson and James Worthy. And that Worthy pick was 33 years ago.
So the Lakers must make the most of the No. 2 overall pick this year, and they ideally need someone who can come in and produce right away; prolonged rebuilds aren't exactly welcome in Los Angeles. Lakers coach Byron Scott acknowledged the two sides of having such a high pick, telling The Jim Rome Show, "We are looking for somebody that can come in and help us right away, that’s the number one thing. And somebody we can have with this franchise for a long period of time that can help us get back to the level we’re accustomed to getting too."
That pick will likely be part of a larger overhaul, Scott said: "Julius [Randle] will be healthy and ready to go, we have three draft picks this year in the first two rounds, free agency is available, so we can have 7-8 new players on this team, so it can look totally different than it did last year."
Yes, there will be pressure, for everyone involved in the process. That's part and parcel of being a member of the Lakers. It's rings or bust.
(h/t Jim Rome Show)
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