Lakers are hoping to get lucky in the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery, and Joel Embiid is why.
There is a 6.3% chance the Los Angeles Lakers will land the first pick in the upcoming 2014 NBA Draft, according to Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report.
The 27-55 Lakers that were injury plagued this season and that saw the face of their franchise (Kobe Bryant) sit out for basically the year can use a break. If the Lakers get lucky and land that first pick, they will draft a 7-foot center from Kansas known as Joel Embiid, and here is why:
The Lakers were the second worst defensive team in the NBA as they allowed an abominable 109.2 points per game. The Lakers need a presence inside and Embiid is that guy. Embiid began playing basketball in 2011 which makes it hard to believe the skill set he provides at seven feet tall.
Embiid has excellent mobility and his athleticism makes it easy for him to block shots. In only 23 minutes per game this season, he averaged 2.6 blocks and 8.1 rebounds. What makes Embiid an intriguing prospect is that Embiid can hit a 16 foot jumper one play and post up the play after. Embiid is exactly what the Lakers are missing, a defensive anchor that can change shots inside. The only knock on Embiid might be his lack of aggressiveness on offense as he only attempted six shots per game.
Here is why the Lakers will take Embiid over Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker:
Wiggins, who was Embiid’s teammate at Kansas, is as athletic as anyone in the draft, but he must improve his shot consistency and ball handling. Wiggins has shown he can score when aggressive (41 points against West Virginia). Parker, who played forward at Duke, is a very good offensive player and will be ready to contribute right away, but must improve defensively. Parker’s game is similar to Carmelo Anthony as he can score from anywhere on the floor and they have similar bodies. It seems that Parker and Wiggins are two different prospects.
With Parker, you know what you’re getting, he might be a safe 20-25 points and 7 rebounds guy. Wiggins is a guy who can be similar to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (7.2 points per game this season), who hasn’t panned out well as an offensive player despite being drafted second in 2012. But then there is that chance that Wiggins can be spectacular and he will show why he was the most highly touted high school player since LeBron James.
Wiggins is too in-between as a good defender and an inconsistent scorer, as he doesn’t do anything greatly but jump. Parker can flat out score but the Lakers averaged 103 points last season and there is that chance that he will be a hole on defense early in his career. Drafting Embiid will give the Lakers a defensive presence that has an array of moves on offense.
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