The Los Angeles Lakers are going to have a long summer ahead of them as figure out how to regroup from what the team views as a disappointing showing during the lockout-shortened 2011-12 NBA season. Unlike most other teams, however, there is only so much the Lakers will be able to do via the 2012 NBA Draft. They only hold one pick in the entire draft, a second-round pick that will be the No. 60 overall selection.
Over at Lakers Nation, Gil Alcaraz has a great profile on a potential Lakers target at No. 60. Alcaraz theorizes that the Lakers may be targeting Wisconsin Badgers point guard Jordan Taylor. Here's his take:
More than anything, Taylor provides promise as an NBA point guard because he's smart with the ball and rarely makes costly mistakes. He averaged only 1.6 turnovers per game in 2011-2012 and has great ball security, something that the Lakers desperately need to improve on. He's not the best passer available and can be a bit streaky at times when it comes to shooting, but could definitely entice some teams with his potential to be a late-second-round sleeper.
What makes Taylor a bit off-putting as a prospect is his lack of explosiveness on offense. Even with a reliable jumper, Taylor struggles to get to the rim and doesn't have the quickness or agility to consistently get a step on his defender. His offensive production in the NBA will be limited to jumpers, which the Lakers already have enough of coming from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers need a point guard who can penetrate the defense and open up passing lanes, which isn't exactly Taylor's forte.
Alcaraz notes that Taylor may not be the flashiest point guard, but at No. 60 in the draft, he may have exactly the type of high ceiling the Lakers could potentially do well with.
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