The Los Angeles Lakers were extremely busy on draft day, but their final pick was 47th overall in the second round. With that, they addressed their need for shooting by selecting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk out of Kansas.
The team has had success in this range before, selecting Jordan Clarkson 46th overall in 2014. After their previous picks in this draft it was anyones guess as to what the Lakers would ultimately do with this final selection.
There were a number of ways the franchise could go and plenty of players on the board who the team had worked out in the weeks prior to the draft. This pick makes a ton of sense for the Lakers as Mykhailiuk is one of the best shooters in the entire NBA Draft.
He broke Kansas’ single-season record for made three-pointers last year and shot 44.4 percent on nearly seven three-point attempts per game last year.
At 6’8 he can potentially play multiple positions, but he doesn’t have excellent length for his size which may hurt him on the defensive end.
Regardless, the Lakers had a major need for shooting after finishing next to last in three-point percentage last season and Mykhailiuk undoubtedly upgrades that. Last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists last year and despite being a four-year college player is only 20 years old so there is plenty of time for him to develop.
The Lakers ultimately addressed their needs with two of three picks in this year’s Draft. Moritz Wagner, taken No. 25 overall, provides size and spacing. Meanwhile, Isaac Bonga will likely remain overseas so as to provide the team with some flexibility.
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