The Lakers’ future and other talking points from the NBA Draft

NBA drafts are always chaotic and, after the Minnesota Timberwolves picked Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick as expected, the 2015 edition was no different.

There was a shock with the second pick and boos after the fourth, while arguably the player most suited to make an instant impact wasn’t taken until spot number 10.

After a night of tension, here are three takeaways from amid all the decision making in Brooklyn:

The Los Angeles Lakers will make a splash in free agency

After enduring a horrific season, the Lakers were given the chance to bounce back from their suffering with the second pick in the draft.

Towns was widely expected to be taken first, but former Duke centre Jahlil Okafor was many pundits’ idea of the best player in the draft class.

So, when the famous purple and gold franchise passed on him for point-guard D’Angelo Russell, it caused a stir.

Essentially, the Lakers believe they can nab themselves a better big man via a trade or in free agency, where the likes of All Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Marc Gasol will be available.

New York Knicks fans are short sighted

Like the Lakers, the Knicks are a huge-market franchise that stank out the NBA over the past season.

Their “reward” was the fourth pick in the draft and their fans saw it as a perfect chance to land a future star to pair with current face-of-the-franchise Carmelo Anthony.

So, when they heard 7ft Latvian Kristaps Porzingis’ name called at that spot this kid and the rest of the Knickerbockers let the room know just how unhappy they were:

While Porzingis is not physically imposing enough to help the Knicks now, he has the ability and quickness to be a real asset given enough time to develop. The question is: will the Knicks be patient enough?

The Heat made the steal of the draft

In the years to come, there could be plenty of words written about the Detroit Pistons’ decision to pick Stanley Johnson ahead of Justise Winslow.

The Pistons’ loss was the Miami Heat’s gain and the 10th pick in the draft will now be a serious carrot for free-agent pair Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic to re-sign with the club.

That trio plus big-man duo Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside makes for a starting five more than capable of securing a high playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

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