2017 NBA Mock Draft: The best choice each team can make

Given the sheer quantity of big men available, it is inevitable that some of them will come off the board late in the first round on draft night. Wading through the grouping, though, is a sort of choose your own adventure book with plenty of options out there. For the Los Angeles Lakers, the choice is Oregon’s Jordan Bell, a 6-foot-9 center with the versatility and passing instincts that should fit in well under head coach Luke Walton.

The 22-year old’s primary attraction is his defense. Bell is impressively switchable for a prospect who projects to be a center. He can slide with guards on the perimeter and uses his athleticism well on the interior. With a 7-foot wingspan, Bell averaged 3.6 blocks per 40 minutes during his time in college. He also created 1.7 steals per 40 minutes during that span.

On offense, Bell is not going to be much of a scorer outside of collecting the occasional garbage bucket or finishing in the pick-and-roll. The more intriguing skill set that he possesses is his passing ability that is evidenced by the 2.4 assists per 40 minutes he averaged during his three seasons with the Ducks.

Bell is an older prospect with limited upside as an offensive player, but he has plenty of room to develop into a highly valued defender.