Jahill Okafor (Photo : REUTERS)
The Los Angeles Lakers, having a decent shot at landing a top-5 pick in the forthcoming NBA Draft, might be even luckier at draft night, as ESPN NBA analyst Chad Ford believed there's still a possibility the team might end up with Duke center Jahill Okafor.
In his latest version of 2015 NBA Mock Draft, Ford played the role of a general manager for each team, selecting players largely based on the team's need instead of talent alone.
According to the veteran ESPN scout, it won't be surprising if Okafor falls all the way down to no.4 because of some holes in his game. Although Okafor is one of the most offensively gifted big men in the last decade, his inability to protect the rim consistently along with his shaky free-throw shooting would force team to re-evaluate their preference.
Having said of Okafor's weaknesses, the rebuilding Lakers might have the patience to wait and see how the big man develops in the next two or three years. Then again, Okafor's offensive game at the post is already a potent weapon they can rely on this early in his career. The Lakers won't miss this opportunity to grab a talented big man.
"I'm not down on Okafor. And in fact, if this were the 2005 NBA draft instead of the 2015 one, I think he'd go No. 1. He's the most offensively polished big man I've scouted in years. But I do think there are legitimate concerns about fit with Okafor. His lack of defense, his lack of elite athleticism and his poor free throw shooting are all major red flags for teams that are emphasizing smaller, quicker athletes who can protect the rim in the NBA."
With that said, at No. 4, he's a no-brainer in this draft and paired with last year's lottery pick Julius Randle would give the Lakers a very impressive young front line for the future.
Okafor, who averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in one season with Duke, might not be the all-around marvel many scouts considered him back in his high school days.
Yet, his tremendous upside remains there. The Lakers would need any All-Star caliber talent out there capable of taking the franchise back to promise land after Kobe Bryant's retirement. Okafor, with all the red flags tagged on him, can certainly emerge as terrific go-to-guy at the post, just like previous Lakers behemoths before him.
