Only one or two years left in the championship window? The Lakers draft embarks on a future to prepare for James' departure

Originally compiled from: The Athletic

Written by Jovan Buha

原标题：Lakers prioritize future over present with Jalen Hood-Schifino pick and trade inactivity

In Thursday's NBA draft, there was a lot of anticipation about how the Lakers would handle the 17th overall pick, and the Lakers ultimately chose Jaylen Hood-Schifino.

After receiving calls from multiple teams and weighing multiple potential trade options, they finally decided to pick the guard from Indiana University, which they had thought would be drafted earlier in the draft. This is their highest draft pick since the selection of Lonzo Ball (2nd pick) in 2017.

Rob Pelinka, vice president and general manager of basketball operations for the Lakers, told the media afterwards that the team did not find a trade they liked.

"I think the ultimate goal we always talk about is to build a championship-level team on the pitch," Pelinka said,

"Sometimes you can't do all the deals at once. But we're very excited about the results of the draft. The value we were able to get with these two players. We will continue to think about how to fill squads for other positions – or other deals that happen in free agency. ”

Their big move for the day was actually done hours before the draft, and according to The Athletic, they agreed to give the Pacers the 47th pick and cash in exchange for the 40th pick. ESPN first reported on the deal.

Subsequently, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Pepperdine University forward Maxwell Lewis for this position. According to unauthorized team sources, the Lakers ended up paying the Pacers $4.3 million, forming a deal involving four teams in the process.

"We do have a pending deal involving a second-round high pick and we're excited about it," Pelinka said.

"We can't talk about second-round picks until that deal is done."

The deal was completed and officially announced just before midnight shortly after Pelinka's speech.

Considering that the Lakers' front court has basically identified Anthony Davis, LeBron James (expected to return), Jared Vanderbilt (the Lakers will choose to exercise the team option) and Hachimura (the team plans to renew his contract), the Lakers are mainly considering larger guards and wingers in the 17th overall pick. (Drake Leffley II, who was selected by Dallas with the 12th pick, was an exception.) ）

Xifino is expected to be selected between the 10th and 20th picks, although most mock drafts assume he will be selected before the Lakers' draft pick. Lewis is expected to be selected early in the second round. From that perspective, the Lakers found value in both drafts.

Pelinka called Shifino a "lottery-level talent" and a player with "Laker genes" because of his size, feel for the game and maturity. Mike Woodson, a coach from Indiana University and former NBA coach from Pittsburgh, spoke highly of his extraordinary professionalism and work attitude, especially as a 19-year-old.

"We think he's a good match with the young core players we're developing," Pelinka said," said Pelinka,"

Xifino turns 20 this week and is considered an NBA rookie who can take on a rotating role. As a guard, his physicality was immediately noticeable, standing 6 feet 6 inches tall, 6 feet 10 inches in arm span and weighing 215 pounds. He won Big Ten's Rookie of the Year award and led Indiana University to the top four seed in the NCAA tournament, averaging 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Sam Weseny of The Athletic put him as the 13th overall pick in his mock draft and ranked him 15th on his list.

"I just want to say I'm an all-rounder,"

Xifino said. "I meet many criteria. Obviously, I'm a big defender. I feel like I can score on three levels. Very altruistic. Commander on the field. ”

Xifino is best at shooting from the ball and from mid-range. He has lethal jumper ability (Synergy counted that he shot 42.3 percent from mid-range jump last season), but he can also throw (according to Synergy, he shot 41 percent from the field last season) or find a partner through passing & finishing with layups. He is a ball handler and playmaker with the ability to read games, using space and shifting efficiently. He can quickly process information on the field and has the variety of offensive skills required by non-star outside players.

On the other end, Xifino is able to defend any position in the backfield and even small forwards in some opposition. He is a ball eagle (a player who is very good at defending and good at stealing the ball) and uses his strength, speed and ball intelligence to keep ball carriers in front of him. He's good enough on both defense and off-ball cover to be best used in shooting tactics, which means he'll be very comfortable with Lakers coach Hamm's preferred defensive strategy.

"He has really good physicality and character to be a great defender," Pelinka said, "and he has all the skill sets in tackles and blocking shots. He has a strong presence on the field. Broad shoulders and wide back. He's really strong. ”

Despite his imposing build, Xifino is below average physicality by NBA standards, which affects his ability to score at the basket, possess the ball, and create space in singles.

The biggest question about Xifino's future is his outside shooting ability, which is a big question for today's guards. He shot just 33.3 percent from three-point range at Indiana (he shot just 30.4 percent from three-point range from the catch). Obviously, this is an area where he has to improve, especially for the Lakers who performed poorly beyond the three-point line last season. However, according to Synergy, his self-shooting three-point shooting rate is 37%, which is an encouraging statistic.

The Lakers are optimistic that their development team can help Xifino make significant progress in shooting.

Pelinka said: "We saw, again Austin Reeves as an example of comparison, when we drafted him, he was not a great pitcher. But now he is,"

"It's because he put in the effort and trained with our staff. I know Cifino is committed to that as well. ”

The Lakers believe Shifino can play any position in the backcourt and is expected to complement Reeves, a restricted free agent. The Lakers intend to re-sign Reeves this offseason.

"Think of the opportunity to be able to put together young defenders like Austin Reeves and Shifino," Pelinka said,

"People might ask, 'Is Austin a point guard?' Or a number two defender? 'Well, he's a defender who can control the ball and dribble to attack. I would say the same thing about Xifino. ”

The Lakers were the first team for Xifino to visit and tryout. He fits the Lakers' philosophy and shows the kind of confidence the Lakers crave. He believes in his ability to get playing time in his rookie season.

IH: Fino said. "On the defensive end, I can really defend any position,"

"And I have a tall build, a strong body, and I think that will help me to obviously be able to defend point guards and taller players." It's a way for me to get playing time as a rookie. ”

As for Lewis, he is a 6-foot-7 winger with excellent athleticism, a 7-foot reach and a standing distance of 8 feet 81/4 inches (specifically the distance from the ground to the highest point of the player's outstretched arm while standing). He is known for his excellent shooting ability, shooting 35.4 percent from three-point range during his two seasons at Pepperdine University. On the offensive end, he is adept at using his size to his advantage, making hook shots or turning jumpers when in line with smaller defenders. For now, his most adaptable skill to the NBA seems to be his ability to catch and shoot.

Because of his athleticism, Lewis is an explosive threat in conversion offense, easily breaking through defenders and completing stunning dunks. He often wins in vertical confrontations and is good at cutting to the basket or finding holes in the defense, which fits perfectly with LeBron James' style.

Lewis has also shown some talent in possession and passing, but these two areas still need to be further honed and developed. His NBA outlook could be affected by how much he grows in both areas.

Defensively, Lewis has excellent physicality, but his awareness is not always sharp. He sometimes gets confused without the ball and takes too many risks in steals. He lacks strength and is easily forced through by taller and stronger flankers. He leans more towards 3 in the 3 and D lineage and is able to play to his reach when defending.

Lewis is a player who needs more time to develop than Shifino, which is evident in the draft pick gap between the two. Still, he has the potential the team seeks in the second-round draft, and the Lakers are clearly very bullish on him. Lewis excelled in the Lakers' combined tryout, becoming one of the best.

There will be relatively few NBA draft deals in 2023, not only for the Lakers, but also for other teams. Apart from the Chris Paul-Jordan Poole big deal that day, no major trades took place during the draft. Damian Lillard and Zion Williamson stayed in Portland and New Orleans, and the second- and third-place draft picks didn't change. Even if Whitmore slipped to the 20th overall pick and was selected by Houston, no team decided to trade the draft pick upwards to take him. (According to team sources, the Lakers considered Whitmore, but ultimately decided that Shifino was the more reliable option.) ）

The Lakers prioritized the future on draft night, weighing the delicate balance between competing for a championship and making clear that their championship window might only be one to two years away.

They didn't find the right trade options and missed a valuable opportunity to use Malik Beasley's contracts with Bamba and the 17th pick ahead of free agency to trade for a better rotation player who could boost the squad for next season. Instead, they chose two outside linemen who had the potential to become core members.

Of course, the Lakers may include one or two rookies in future trades, depending on how their offseason options develop. But for now, the Lakers seem happy with the performances of Xifino and Lewis that they saw first. The Lakers' famous scouting department has earned people's trust. Perhaps one or both of them will contribute sooner than expected. Like Reeves two seasons ago, Max Christie had great moments last season.

Still, Thursday's results remind us that the Lakers realize the importance of embarking on James' future after his departure, which may only be a year or two away.