The front office of the Los Angeles Lakers is undergoing some changes underneath governor Jeanie Buss and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka. The franchise recently announced the hiring of former University of Virginia head coach Tony Bennett as their new NBA Draft advisor to Pelinka.
The move opened some eyes as Bennett is an extremely respected person who had great success in the college ranks. He took two programs in Virginia, as well as Washington State, to new levels and coached and developed a number of players who would go on to NBA success, including Klay Thompson, Trey Murphy III, Malcolm Brogdon and De’Andre Hunter.
But in his role as draft advisor, Bennett will not be taking on a lead role in the scouting department or draft room itself. But instead, according to Dan Woike of The Athletic, Bennett’s eye for identifying specific types of players will be utilized as the Lakers look to increase their stock of young, promising players:
Bennett, a team source said, will not be leading the Lakers’ draft room or scouting. Instead, Bennett’s experience in finding players who possess toughness, energy and IQ will aid in the Lakers’ search as they restock an empty-ish cupboard of young talent.
There was a time when the Lakers’ scouting and drafting department was one of the biggest strengths in the organization. The team regularly found players in the late-first or second rounds of the draft that would go on to be excellent players in the NBA, such as Josh Hart, Jordan Clarkson, Kyle Kuzma, Ivica Zubac and Larry Nance Jr.
Oftentimes, those players would be used in trades to acquire a superstar, but that also means that these young players were talented enough to warrant inclusion in such deals. These days, the Lakers’ stock of young players is basically empty. Dalton Knecht’s value has plummeted, which leaves rookie Adou Thiero, who has battled injury in his first season, as the lone young player with some real potential on this roster.
Bennett’s teams in college were known for their defense, toughness and high IQ who played together and embraced their roles and he ultimately led Virginia to the National Championship in 2019. If he can help to find some of those players who have those same qualities he will be a great benefit to this Lakers franchise.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton doesn’t want to be placed in Clint Capela role
When it comes to the current Lakers roster one of the biggest keys to success is the play of center Deandre Ayton. And the big man recently let it be known that he does not want to be placed in rim-running role that Clint Capela once held for the Houston Rockets.
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