The 2012 NBA Draft is officially in the books for the Los Angeles Lakers with no blockbuster trades involving Pau Gasol or Metta World Peace going down. Even though Gasol and World Peace may very well be on their way out of Los Angeles before next season, the Lakers were able to hold onto two of their veteran stars and add some intriguing rookies to the roster.
After purchasing the 55th pick from the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers decided to draft Darius Johnson-Odom out of Marquette.
At 6’2″, Johnson-Odom is an undersized shooting guard with the potential to be a solid scoring option for the Lakers in the near future. Averaging 18.3 points per game during his four years at Marquette, Johnson-Odom made a name for himself as a scorer that could get the job done attacking the rim and from beyond the arc.
Shooting 45% from the floor and 39% percent from 3-point range, Johnson-Odom has the potential to earn a spot in Mike Brown’s rotation next season. Even though Johnson-Odom may have the upside of bringing some much needed offense to the table in Los Angeles, the Lakers may have ultimately drafted another Andrew Goudelock that will be seldom used.
It remains uncertain how much impact Johnson-Odom may have in his first season with the Lakers or whether he can even make the squad, but this is an interesting move by Los Angeles with the Marquette guard reportedly being a liability on defense as well as undersized.
One thing that Johnson-Odom does have going for him that will certainly spark the interest of Lakers fans next season is the ability to play above the rim. The Marquette standout is a high-flyer and will definitely be putting skills on display when given the chance.
Check out Darius Johnson-Odom’s Marquette highlights below and let us know in the comments whether or not he has a future with the Lakers!
httpvhd://youtu.be/HF6M_XRSPvE