Lakers 2014-2015 NBA Draft Selections

What’s up fellow Lakers fans? It’s draft day! That day we've all been waiting for, and sad to say, the highlight of our 2014-2015 season.

 
I'm leaving work early today so I can be home to watch the NBA draft live (what a devoted fan). This is a special draft. I'm not going to watch it via a DVR, or hear about it after the fact from some schlep sports analysts on ESPN.

Jalen Rose, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless

This draft is a treat for Lakers fans. The buildup, the hype, and the expectations are all bigger than last year when we selected Julius Randle with the 7th pick. This year we have pick #2. It has been 33 years since we had a draft pick this high. Way back in 1982 the Lakers selected the great James Worthy with the very first pick.

"Big Game" James Worthy

This is big news. This is huge news! There are definitely some talented players available in this draft, and we’re going to nab one of them. Thanks to the last month's fortuitous bouncing of the lottery balls, we’ll acquire a fresh young talent on our team.

But wait! There's more. Lest we forget, the basketball gods have bestowed onto us two other picks besides our lotto selection. Later in the 1^st round we have the 27^th pick. We also have the 34th pick in the 2^nd round. For the first time in years, I may watch the entire draft.

Various media outlets have been working overtime churning out rumors and scenarios for the Lakers. Which rising young star would they pluck from the amateur ranks? 

Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D' Angelo Russell

Will they trade the player they select (and/or someone else on the roster) for an accomplished star player or players?

DeMarcus Cousins

Will the player they choose inspire free agents to emigrate to the Lakers now and in the near future?

Free agents as of July 1st, 2015

Would the team rise from the recent doldrums of being left out of the playoffs?

This draft, and the ensuing free agency period, can really impact the team and its fans. I can't wait for this evening's festivities to commence.

 
As the day drones on, I've been glued to one form of media or another. They were feeding the frenzy by filling my head with all the last minute rumors and scenarios. Had I ever been this obsessed on draft day? I couldn’t remember. Needless to say, I can't wait for my work day to end.

Flash forward to the afternoon. After driving like a maniac through stalled street traffic, I found myself at home sitting on the reclining seat of my couch with my laptop and various forms of electronic devices splayed out in front of me. My anticipation and readiness are blinding me to the sight of our starving cat nibbling on my socks (picture below cropped to protect the feline in question).

Intense fan

I've donned myself in my finest Lakers gear, and the ESPN analysts have just finished their pre-draft fluff. Just now the cue ball head of Adam Silver appears with the rest of his body to start the draft. All right...let's do this!

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

Usually when the NBA draft starts, I watch with mild interest as other teams draft away at players I wish were in the purple and gold. Usually it takes awhile to get to the Lakers selection.  Years and years of success have consistently guaranteed us a late first round pick.

Despite the crappy season we had to endure, it did come with one benefit: a high draft pick! It's a universally accepted notion that even Jim Buss can't mess up our future with this one, so on with the show!

 
1st pick: Karl-Anthony Towns, no surprise there. The Lakers wanted him, but everybody knew he was going to Minnesota. So much for that. 

Next up is the Lakers pick. This is it! After months of sitting through that hopeless 2014-2015 campaign, the worst in modern memory, we have reached the light at the end of the tunnel. Who will the Lakers select? Will it be Jahlil Okafor? He's big, and has an NBA-ready body, and could be a nice addition to the legendary cache of big men who've suited up in the purple and gold.  

Many fans seem to want the big guy, and the rumors are that the Lakers want him as well. Here comes Adam Silver with the announcement: Here it is....."and the Lakers select......D'Angelo Russell."

The 2nd pick in the 2015/2015 NBA Draft D' Angelo Russell

I can live with that. If fact, I'm very pleased with this pick. The chatter on this guy is that he is a guard in the mold of Magic Johnson. That's a large and legendary comparison to live up too, but judging by this guy's interview with ESPN, he seems ready. He's very confident and cocky. You have to be if you're going to wear a suit like that.

Everyone had him going high on the board, with some teams and experts ranking him as the best player in the draft. Only time will tell. I know some fans wanted to get back to the classic Lakers basketball style (big man in the middle who can dominate), but if Russell is like Magic, maybe the Buss family felt he could be the centerpiece of a modern-day Showtime offense. Coach Scott is a product of that era and can help school the kid in the fine arts of old-school Lakers basketball.

1980's Bryon Scott

I am eager to see Russell balling it up at the Staples Center. I think he has the potential to revitalize the franchise, and not just with his skill set. He's the type of player that can attract free agents who want to come to LA.

 
We have some money now that Bad Back Nash is retired. We'll be able to pursue one of the many big men available come July 1st (LaMarcus Aldridge anyone?). And next year, if Kobe retires, or decides to stay for cheap, we'll have a goldmine of funds to attract more free agents. Things are looking up! 

Coming down off of my Russell high, I'm awaiting the Lakers 2nd pick in the first round, but it's going to be a while. Meanwhile I'm running back and forth watering my lawn, and doing the laundry, while watching the rest of the league pluck youngsters out of the green room.

Finally the Lakers are up again. There are still some quality athletes left, including a few front court players. I think we should pick one for insurance in case we can't land one in free agency.

 
And the Lakers select.......Larry Nance Jr.??? From Wyoming? Oh I get it. Taking Russell was Kupchak's idea, but this pick was made by Jimmy Buss.

Larry Nance Jr.

I remember hearing Nance's name in passing once during an ESPN broadcast, but I don't remember anybody talking about him leading up to the draft. ESPN is now showing some highlights of his season. Meh. Looks average. The analysts are trying their best to compliment him, but even they seem perplexed at the pick.

 
If Jerry West was still in the front office, I wouldn't be thinking twice about this selection. But that era has come and gone. I hope the team knows what they're doing with this player. At this point I'd rather take his dad, the great Larry Nance Sr. (for all of you youngsters, look up his dunks on YouTube), who has been retired for at least 20 years. 

Larry Nance Sr. 1984 - The First NBA Slam Dunk Champion

In the 2nd round with their last pick, the Lakers select Anthony Brown from Stanford. I don't remember watching him, but the analysts really like that he is a big who can stretch the floor. They say he has an NBA ready three point shot. What's not to like about that? Replace Ryan Kelly with this guy please.

The Lakers 2nd Round Pick Anthony Brown

So there we have it. Russell, Nance Jr., and Brown. My personal grade: A-. Had they picked a better player with the 27th pick, this would have been an automatic 'A'. Picking up Russell alone warrants a high grade. Post pick interviews with Bryon Scott and Kupchak show them showering him with praises. Coach Scott is beaming and giggling like a child about to enter Disneyland.

 
All in all this was an interesting draft, made special by the Lakers appearance in the lottery. I can't wait to see who the team acquires from the free agent market. If we can pick up two quality players (one being a big man), I think we have a great shot of making it back to the playoffs. The franchise's history demands it, and so do the fans!

And if the great Kobe Bean Bryant does sail off into the sunset after next season, we'll have the dough to pursue some more big names in free agency: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Derrick Rose, Chandler Parsons, and Serge Ibaka to name a few. I'm already excited about next summer.

 
Lastly, I would like to point out the one thing about this draft that bothered me.
For the 29^th consecutive year, I have been eligible to be drafted by teams in the league. And yet my name was passed over by everyone, including my beloved Lakers. I must say it gets harder and harder every year to maintain this kind of shape: 

I think I may have to consider hanging up the sneaks and call it a day on my dream of being a professional basketball player.

So sad. Another player lost to father time. Oh well.

Until next time minions!

***(Thanks to my good friend Jim Arnold for the "slightly altered" photo.)