Getty Darius Garland of Brentwood Academy attempts a dunk during the 2018 McDonald's All American Game.
NBA Draft prospect Darius Garland made a brief appearance at the combine but quickly packed his bags and headed home – with a reported promise from a top lottery team that he would be drafted. While the specific team hasn’t yet been named, many league executives feel that the Lakers could potentially be the team that gave Garland his promise.
Lakers NBA Draft: Did LA Promise to Take Darius Garland?
If the Lakers keep their pick, should they draft Darius Garland?
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In order for Garland to simply pack his bags and head home, the offer must have come from a team fairly high up the draft boards. Garland is coming off an injury and with the top three picks seemingly being set in stone, was mainly competing to be the first man off the board after Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and RJ Barrett.
Picking fourth and in need of three-point shooting, Garland has been a rumored target for the Lakers since they jumped up in the lottery. It would make sense for Garland to simply head home if the Lakers promised to pick him as he really would only be able to drop his draft stock by continuing to participate in events.
Another team that has been thrown around as a possible “promiser” are the Phoenix Suns. Picking sixth and in desperate need for a point guard to run alongside Devin Booker, the Suns also offer Garland the path to the biggest share of immediate minutes/responsibility. Thankfully, the Lakers pick ahead of the Suns and even if they didn’t promise Garland, should be able to snatch him up off the board.
How Does Darius Garland Fit With the Lakers?
It wouldn’t be an ideal fit on paper but it is undoubtedly something the Lakers could make work. Both Garland and Lonzo Ball are point guards meaning that someone is going to be playing a bit out of position on the offensive end. Especially considering the Lakers’ point guard already shares playmaking responsibilities with LeBron James, it might wind up being an ugly situation where there are too many cooks in the kitchen.
That said, Garland is an excellent shooter as well and if the Lakers can find a way to maximize all three while having them on the court at the same time, the end result could be pretty dangerous. Especially if Ball can take the next step as a three-point shooter, it would help with spacing the floor immensely and the Lakers could offer one of the most dynamic offenses in the league.
From a defensive standpoint, you could run out a backcourt of Garland and Ball and feel fairly confident on most nights. Similar to how Golden State hides Steph Curry on the weaker guard, the Lakers could do the same for Garland while allowing Ball to harass the opposing teams’ best player.
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Lakers NBA Draft: Did LA Promise to Take Darius Garland?