Many would agree that the Los Angeles Lakers will need to pick up a guard or two this season. They will need to do so either as an upgrade or as a replacement for one or more of the guards on their roster who may leave in free agency.
But make no mistake about it — the Lakers could also use one or two wings or frontcourt players to bolster their championship hopes next season.
Not only will they have the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but they will also have the No. 47 selection. Los Angeles has had some uncanny success in recent years when it comes to finding gems late in the draft.
One player they recently worked out who could become a gem is Tosan Evbuomwan from Princeton University.
A look at Evbuomwan
Originally from the United Kingdom, Evbuomwan is a smooth 6-foot-8 forward who can score inside. He averaged 15.1 points a game this past season while hitting 51.5 percent of his shots.
But his main talent is creating off the dribble. He is pretty adept at breaking down defenses to set up shots in the paint, which is where he does most of his offensive damage.
What makes Evbuomwan unique is his ability to create for his teammates. He averaged 4.9 assists a game during the 2022-23 season, and he can also rebound the ball and run the break like a guard, which would make him a nice fit with the Lakers.
On the other end, he isn’t an elite defender, but he isn’t mediocre either. Still, he may be something of a ‘tweener defensively, as he isn’t super quick or athletic, which may make it difficult for him to guard 3s, but he lacks the strength to handle some power forwards.
Evbuomwan has modestly improved his 3-point shooting over his three years of college ball, but he only hit 32.4 percent from downtown on 1.1 attempts a game this past season. That could limit his ability to play the small forward position at the next level.
He is projected to possibly go in the second round of the draft.
