Getty Jarrett Culver speaks with the media during Day One of the NBA Draft Combine.
The Los Angeles Lakers recently brought in NBA Draft target and Texas Tech star Jarrett Culver to work out for the team. One of the major players expected to be in the running for the Lakers and their fourth pick in the NBA Draft, Culver is a big and athletic shooting guard who is a competent offensive threat while shining on the defensive side of the ball.
Culver’s pre-draft workout drew considerable media fanfare with superstar LeBron James even deciding to swing by the facility and get a first-hand look at a kid that has a good chance to be his teammate next season.
Lakers Draft Target Jarrett Culver feels he can ‘adjust defense’ to NBA Game
LakersNation – “Being a two-way player. Being able to operate with LeBron. I know he’s going to have the ball a lot,” Culver said after his pre-draft workout. “And being able to play defense, I feel like I can adjust to defense in the league very well, guard guys, and just playmaking.”
Beyond his defense, Culver seems to have a strong understanding of what his role would be on the Lakers. While he thrived with the ball in his hands and creating in college, there is room to believe that he could be an even more efficient player with primary playmaking duties on someone else’s shoulders.
Especially when you consider Culver’s three-point percentage in college, playing him off the ball and allowing playmakers to find him for open looks should help TREMENDOUSLY. Culver isn’t a bad shooter, just simply one without any help around him in college that was forced into tons of contested looks.
Other Top Los Angeles Lakers Draft Targets
Beyond Jarrett Culver, two other top names have been floated most frequently by draft analysts. In particular, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter are the two other players that the Lakers are strongly considering for the pick. Garland is an electric score-first guard who might be the best pure shooter in the draft class. Coming off an injury that saw his status fall from being a potential top two pick, Garland was still able to show enough in his brief showcase to convince scouts that he is a unanimous top-five pick.
De’Andre Hunter is a big, sturdy ‘3 and D’ wing player with an NBA ready frame. Thriving in Virginia’s ‘pack-line’ defense, it may take Hunter a second to pick up the different defensive schemes at the NBA level. However, he looks to be someone who can jump in from day one and give you a reliable three-point option along with very solid defense and the chance to grow into something MUCH more valuable.