NBA Draft: Emmanuel Mudiay To Workout For Lakers For A Second Time
USA Today
The Los Angeles are doing their due diligence when it comes to evaluating talent heading into the 2015 NBA Draft. The storied NBA franchise has three picks in the upcoming draft and can’t afford to make a mistake on June 25.
With that being said, the Lakers are trying to gather as much information as possible on the players expected to be available with the second overall pick. This includes Jahlil Okafor (Duke), D’Angelo Russell (Ohio State), Emmanuel Mudiay (China) and international product Kristaps Porzingis. All four of these players are in consideration for the second pick with the team still weighing their options in terms of going big or drafting a guard.
On Thursday, the Lakers will bring in Mudiay for a second workout at the team’s practice facility in El Segundo, according to Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:
I'm told Emmanuel Mudiay definitely plans to have a 2nd workout with the Lakers before the draft. The date is not ironed out yet
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) June 17, 2015
Along with Porzingis, Mudiay is a relatively unkonw in terms of potential on the NBA level. Both players played overseas and have received rave reviews for their ability, but many still aren’t sold on whether their talent will transcend on the NBA level.
As of right now, D’Angelo Russell is considered the best guard in the draft. Russell was an impressive to stay the least during his short stint with the Buckeyes and appears to be the model for the type of player that succeeds on the NBA level these days.
Unlike Russell, Mudiay sorely lacks in the shooting department. Mudiay has the clear advantage in terms of athleticism in comparison to Russell and has received some talk for potentially being the next Russell Westbrook due to his athletic ability, but can’t shoot anywhere near as well and has some teams concerned, including the Lakers.
