Draft Tonight

The Lakers have three picks in tonight’s NBA Draft, one in the first round and two in the second.  ESPN draft guru Chad Ford is reporting that the Lakers are looking to trade some of those picks, but could select Florida State guard Toney Douglas with the 28th overall pick if they’re unable to strike a deal.  “The Lakers are saying they want to trade this pick, but if they don’t I think Douglas could be the man,” Ford writes.  ”His ability to play both positions, shoot the ball and defend could make him a long-term replacement for Derek Fisher.”

Ford has the Lakers taking French point guard Rodrigue Beaubois with the first of their two second-round picks (46th overall, acquired from Charlotte in the Adam Morrision/Shannon Brown trade).  “Beaubois is long and athletic, but he’s still learning how to play,” Ford writes of the point guard.  ”A good pick in the future.”  With the second-to-last pick in the draft (59th overall), Ford projects the Lakers to select Villanova forward Dante Cunningham.  “Cunningham is the type of highly intelligent big man who might find a way to thrive in coach Phil Jackson’s system,” Ford says.  The Douglas pick definitely makes sense thanks to his ability to shoot the ball and the philosophy that the triangle offense will help counteract his point guard deficiencies.  Beaubois makes sense only because the team could stash him in Europe for a couple of years, while I’d be surprised if they didn’t move the 59th overall selection by the end of the night.

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Posted in General on June 25, 2009

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