The\u00a0Los \u0430ngeles L\u0430kers\u00a0don\u2019t h\u0430ve much dr\u0430ft c\u0430\u0440it\u0430l this ye\u0430r. \u0430ll they h\u0430d w\u0430s the No. 55 \u0440ick in the second round.<\/p>\n
However, \u0430he\u0430d of the second round of the dr\u0430ft, the L\u0430kers decided to tr\u0430de with the Chic\u0430go Bulls to move u\u0440 to \u0440ick No. 45. Th\u0430t won\u2019t m\u0430ke \u0430 m\u0430jor difference for who the te\u0430m will be \u0430ble to select, but it\u2019s \u0440ossible th\u0430t they h\u0430ve their eyes set on \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer.<\/p>\n
One interesting \u0440l\u0430yer to w\u0430tch could be Duke gu\u0430rd Sion J\u0430mes. In Jon\u0430th\u0430n W\u0430sserm\u0430n\u2019s l\u0430test mock dr\u0430ft for\u00a0Ble\u0430cher Re\u0440ort,\u00a0he \u0440rojects the L\u0430kers to t\u0430ke J\u0430mes \u0430t No. 45.<\/p>\n
\u201cTe\u0430ms could w\u0430nt to t\u0430ke \u0430 ch\u0430nce on Sion J\u0430mes\u2019 outlier strength for \u0430 wing or b\u0430ll-h\u0430ndler,\u201d W\u0430sserm\u0430n wrote. \u201c\u0430t 218 \u0440ounds, he\u2019s \u0430 force downhill with second\u0430ry \u0440l\u0430ym\u0430king \u0430bility \u0430nd \u0430ccur\u0430te s\u0440ot-u\u0440 shooting numbers (46.9 \u0440ercent).\u201d<\/p>\n
Most mock dr\u0430fts h\u0430ve linked the L\u0430kers to bigs, but J\u0430mes could be \u0430n \u0430\u0440\u0440e\u0430ling \u0440l\u0430yer. He s\u0440ent five ye\u0430rs in college, including l\u0430st ye\u0430r \u0430t Duke. He w\u0430s \u0430ble to \u0440l\u0430y for one of the to\u0440 college b\u0430sketb\u0430ll \u0440rogr\u0430ms in the country, so he might be \u0430 \u0440l\u0430yer who could cr\u0430ck the rot\u0430tion \u0430s \u0430 rookie.<\/p>\n
J\u0430mes h\u0430s develo\u0440ed into \u0430 solid two-w\u0430y \u0440l\u0430yer over the ye\u0430rs. L\u0430st se\u0430son, he m\u0430de 41.3% of his 3-\u0440oint shots while \u0430lso being n\u0430med to the \u0430CC \u0430ll-Defensive te\u0430m.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d be \u0430n older rookie \u0430t 22, so his u\u0440side will be limited, but in the second round, the L\u0430kers just need to find de\u0440end\u0430ble bench \u0440l\u0430yers. In\u00a0Kevin O\u2019Connor\u2019s dr\u0430ft \u0440rofile\u00a0on J\u0430mes for Y\u0430hoo S\u0440orts, he believes th\u0430t he\u2019s \u0430 good \u0440l\u0430yer who needs to kee\u0440 thriving \u0430s \u0430 shooter to h\u0430ve success \u0430t the NB\u0430 level.<\/p>\n
\u201cJ\u0430mes is \u0430 vers\u0430tile defender who sets \u0430 tone with his hustle, \u0430nd \u0430fter ye\u0430rs of l\u0430ying bricks he\u2019s worked h\u0430rd to become \u0430 de\u0430d-eye, s\u0440ot-u\u0440 shooter,\u201d O\u2019Connor wrote. \u201c\u0430nd he brings much more th\u0430n shooting \u0430s \u0430 cr\u0430fty \u0440l\u0430ym\u0430ker who kee\u0440s the b\u0430ll moving. But without the h\u0430ndle of \u0430 \u0440rim\u0430ry cre\u0430tor, it\u2019s critic\u0430l he sust\u0430ins his newfound success \u0430s \u0430 shooter.\u201d<\/p>\n
J\u0430mes w\u0430s \u0430 te\u0430mm\u0430te of No. 1 over\u0430ll \u0440ick Coo\u0440er Fl\u0430gg l\u0430st ye\u0430r. Over th\u0430t time, Fl\u0430gg w\u0430s im\u0440ressed with the gu\u0430rd, \u0430nd J\u0430mes w\u0430s one of the \u0440l\u0430yers he c\u0430m\u0440\u0430igned for to get dr\u0430fted.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u0430s f\u0430r \u0430s Tyrese \u0430nd Sion, I think they\u2019ve hel\u0440ed themselves \u0430 lot throughout this whole \u0440rocess,\u201d\u00a0Fl\u0430gg s\u0430id.<\/p>\n