Most presume it’s Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons for the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
A fair conclusion to come to given the talent of both prospects and what the Lakers need to actually get out of the quagmire that is the league’s worst rebuild.
But the Lakers have kept their options open, especially with players such as Dragan Bender in the class. David Pick explained, though, that the Lakers are nearing the same conclusion most have thought for a while:
Told the Los Angeles Lakers have fallen out of interest in Dragan Bender. Sounds like No. 2 pick is Brandon Ingram.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) June 5, 2016
Bender absolutely deserves consideration at No. 2, as guys who stand at 7’1″ and can space the floor with deep shooting don’t come around often.
Great, but the Lakes already have Julius Randle to work the low post and can get a rotational stretch player elsewhere.
Ingram simply isn’t a player to let pass, not after he averaged 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game as a freshman with Duke. While a bit on the light side right now at 6’10” and 196 pounds, Ingram is an instant starter at small forward who knocked down 41 percent of his shots from deep last year.
In fact, Ingram looks like an even better fit than Simmons given his shot from deep, something the LSU product lacks. A stretch presence who can also slash to the rim and play physical defense—not to mention potential superstar upside—isn’t something the Lakers can ignore for a guy like Bender.
Calling Ingram a consolation prize would be downright silly.
The Lakers picking Ingram is boring in the sense it removes some intrigue from the draft. But it also gives the team three young players with star upside before the front office heads to a free-agency period headlined by Kevin Durant. Ingram’s pro-ready game with upside is quite a bit more appealing to free agents than a guy such as Bender, who needs a few years to blossom at the pro level.
Ingram sounds like the second pick to the Lakers, no matter what reports and rumors fire up in the coming days.
