NBA

NBA Draft: Is Brandon Ingram the Best Fit for the Lakers?

Jay Kim  —  @ThirtyDimes Jun 23rd, 2016
The Lakers seem intent on drafting Brandon Ingram second overall, but is he the right choice?

Bugatti or Ferrari?

Filet mignon or ribeye?

Prague or the Bahamas?

They're all win-win situations, and that's exactly how Mitch Kupchak and the Los Angeles Lakers are feeling about the 2016 NBA Draft.

By having the second overall pick, the Lakers are ensured of landing one of the two foolproof prospects this year -- either LSU's Ben Simmons or Duke's Brandon Ingram.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Philadelphia 76ers will make Simmons their top pick, thus the Lakers would be set on welcoming Ingram to the bright lights of LA. But even with Ingram's unquestionable upside, is he the best fit for the rebuilding Lakers?

Let's examine whether Ingram should be the obvious choice for the Lakers, or if there ought to be other considerations in play.

The Case for Ingram

During his lone season at Duke, Ingram shot the long ball often and he shot it well -- 40% of Ingram's total field goal attempts were shot from three-point range, and he made 41% of them. Ingram is already drawing early comparisons to Kevin Durant, mostly because of their physique and offensive versatility. Another player whom I believe Ingram is akin to is Klay Thompson, a comparison which would bode well for the up-tempo brand of basketball that new Lakers head coach, Luke Walton, will soon be implementing into the Lakers system.


The Lakers have ample room to improve upon from last season. They desperately need to address their three-point shooting woes (they ranked last in the NBA in three-point field goal percentage) and could use some help on the defensive end, too (they were last in the NBA in Defensive Rating and 26th in Effective Field Goal Percentage allowed). Regardless of who you compare him to, Ingram possesses a promising skill set that can benefit the Lakers on both ends of the court.

Buddy on the Radar?

The Lakers have expressed interest in a few players other than Ingram, most notably Oklahoma's Buddy Hield. As a senior last year, Hield led the NCAA in three-pointers made (147), was sixth in three-point percentage (46%), and drained a whopping 4.4 three-pointers per game.


Hield has a proven track record of being a bonafide scorer, his most memorable performances happening on the road in a triple overtime thriller at Kansas (46 points) and a showdown with Simmons at LSU (32 points). It's highly evident that Hield possesses the swagger that is needed to fill the scoring void left by Kobe Bryant.

Too Early for Dunn?

There's a lot of intrigue surrounding Providence's Kris Dunn, and deservedly so. Though listed at just 6'3", Dunn exemplifies an undersized dynamism that has the Lakers organization contemplating possibilities.


As a senior last year, Dunn ranked fifth in the NCAA in steals per game (2.5), third in the NCAA in Assist Rate (41.8), and won his second straight Big East Player of the Year Award. Dunn's playing style and tenacity has drawn comparisons to the likes of Damian Lillard and John Wall.

With the Second Pick, the Lakers Will Select...

Ingram, and he will be the best fit for the Lakers.

Had the Lakers' roster been absent of two budding backcourt players, the Lakers would be putting more consideration into drafting Hield, Dunn, and Kentucky's Jamal Murray.

But because D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson are still donning purple and gold, the Lakers cannot afford to pass up on the unique potential that Ingram provides.

But then again, this is the NBA Draft we are talking about, where anything can happen.