Athletic Wings and Second-Round Gems for the Lakers

Comments

1. LakerTom says

   June 26, 2025 at 9:36 am

   FROM THE ABOVE ARTICLE:

   1-How well do ‘athletic’ defensive stats translate from college to the NBA?

   Why am I sharing this again? Because I used the same approach and key stats (block rate, steal rate, and offensive rebound rate) to build comparisons for the players Nick highlighted when I asked about prospects who fit the exceptional athlete archetype. We also took it a step further by including Nick’s Combine Score metric, which adds another valuable layer of insight into each player’s athletic profile and physical tools.

   2-Athletic wing defense: second-round options

   Q: The Lakers currently hold the 55th pick, if they don’t move up in the second round. They need athletes, length, and point-of-attack defense. Do you see any players — or does your model project any — that you’d take a chance on at the end of the draft?

   Nick: With NIL becoming such an important factor in the draft process, I expect the second round to become even more barren than usual. That being said, Jahmai Mashack is a player who I think fits all of the criteria you outlined as needs for the Lakers. He tested extremely well at the G League Elite Camp, measuring 6’3″ with a +5 wingspan, and was a lockdown defender for Tennessee in the toughest conference in the country. Given LA’s success with Jordan Goodwin in a limited sample, Mashack could be a low-cost perimeter defense option worth targeting late in the draft. Micah Peavy from Georgetown is another player who fits that mold.

   Q: Do you see any players who fit that profile and are likely to go earlier in the second round — players you’re high on and think the Lakers should consider moving up for?

   Nick: It’s tough, because a few players projected in the late first to early second round range are still undecided about whether to return to school. Miles Byrd (EDIT: draft expert Jonathan Givony described him as one of the best defensive playmakers in college basketball) was arguably the best point-of-attack defender in college basketball last season, and unlike Mashack or Peavy, he’s also a consistent perimeter threat. He continued to rack up steals and blocks during the combine scrimmages and definitely saw his stock rise over the week. Cedric Coward (EDIT: Cedric Coward forgoes Duke to remain in the NBA Draft), currently committed to Duke but also going through the draft process, measured as one of the most athletic wings in combine history (Combine Score above 95) and has seen his draft outlook skyrocket from relatively unknown to the 20–30 range.

   3–A very intriguing Combine Score and athletic comparisons for Dalton Knecht
   Here’s how Nick answered when I asked how his model projected Knecht before last year’s draft, and how he views one of the Lakers’ best young assets today.

   Nick: Knecht graded out as the 7th-best prospect coming from the NCAA to the NBA last season in my model, which valued his diverse scoring profile and offensive dominance in the SEC, the most competitive conference in college basketball. At times, he looked like he was living up to that potential, but he struggled with consistent minutes, especially after the Mark Williams trade fell through. I think he’ll settle into a steady role as a volume scorer off the bench — someone who can give you a few buckets when needed but isn’t a strong enough defender to contribute much beyond that. It will also be difficult for him to develop further given his age (he’ll be 24 at the start of next season).

   4-Athletic rim-rolling bigs: second-round options
   5-Best front offices at finding hidden draft gems
   Nick: The two best teams at finding talent outside of the lottery are easily Memphis and Golden State. The Warriors in particular have a rotation littered with players they drafted in the late first round or even in the second, notably Brandin Podziemski, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Kevon Looney, Quentin Post, Gui Santos, and of course, Draymond Green.

   Log in to Reply