The Los Angeles Lakers have just finished a disappointing season, which is undoubtedly unacceptable for a team with a glorious history and a roster with two supergiants, James and Bushy Eyebrows. The Lakers need to do a deep review and reflection to find out what went wrong and make adjustments and changes accordingly this offseason. The Lakers' opportunities come from the draft, the trade market, and the free agent market. This is a great test of general manager Pelinka's vision and means.
On the road to upgrading the roster, the Lakers have a big chance, and that is this year's NBA Draft. Previously, the Pelicans have officially announced that they will not take away the Lakers' first-round pick this year. That means the Lakers have the No. 17 pick in the first round, which is a valuable resource for them. In the draft, they have the opportunity to draft a rookie with great potential to bolster the team. They also had the 17th pick in the first round last year, but they chose the spicy-eyed Sifino, which made fans complain for a year.
This year, the Lakers seem to be targeting interior players with draft targets. Recently, Lakers reporter Jovan Buha did a Q&A on his personal podcast about the team's lack of interior depth. When asked by a fan "Should I pick Zach Eddie with the No. 17 pick," Buha replied: "I think Zach Eddie would be useful to the Lakers, but he could be a lottery pick, and he was so impressive in the tryouts before the draft that the No. 17 pick could not be with him." But what I do know is that the Lakers shouldn't pick a guard with the No. 17 pick because they have too many guards. ”
"Eddie is an interesting option because he's clearly ready for the NBA to come off the bench and play 8-15 minutes," Buha said. "Zach Eddie is 2.24 meters tall, has an arm span of 2.39 meters and weighs 136 kilograms. He played in 39 games in his senior season, averaging 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.2 blocks in 32.0 minutes per game while shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 71.1 percent from the free throw line. He also won the Nai Smith Player of the Year award for the second year in a row in 2024. Zach Eddie chose to withdraw from the election last year and return to school, and after a year of hard work, the market rose to the first round and even the lottery.
The Lakers have certain weaknesses on the inside, and adding an interior player to the draft would help LeBron James and Anthony Davis a lot. An inside tower like Eddie can help the Lakers. They've owned Zubac before, but they gave it to the Clippers almost for nothing, and now it's time to get back on the field. If Pelinka can select Visionary in this year's draft, he will have a chance to reverse last year's negative rating and complete his redemption.
Lakers fans are looking forward to how the team will perform in the new season. They want to see the team make effective adjustments and changes in the offseason, bring in new blood, and improve the overall strength of the team. If Pelinka can pick the right players in the draft, then the Lakers' performance in the new season will be even more exciting. Pelinka needs to make good use of his draft pick and select players who can be of substantial help to the team. Hopefully, the Lakers can bounce back in the new season and challenge for the championship again!