2018 NBA Mock Draft: Enter the madness
G/F. Boise State. Chandler Hutchison. 23. player. 20.
Boise State has seemingly been both a blessing and a curse for Hutchison during his three college seasons. For the second straight season, the Broncos lost in the NIT tournament, but Hutchison led the way with a monster 39-point, 14-rebound performance.
It’s incredible to see a wing be everywhere on the court the way Hutchison is, controlling the ball as a play-maker as well as defending the opponent’s top player. That’s the blessing of being the featured piece at a mid-major. He won’t be asked to play that role early in his NBA career, but Hutchison’s baseline as a 3-and-D wing with shot creation upside is ideal for the modern NBA.
The Lakers have had outrageous draft luck in recent seasons, as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma are ALL legitimate pieces of their rotation going forward. Hutchison is a bit more risky than some of those guys, including Hart and Ball, who led their teams to deep tournament runs before declaring for the draft.
A team can never have too many wings, and though the Lakers do have a need at the big man spot, one would assume they could address that in free agency, especially if they can add a star and entice veterans to come to L.A. on the cheap.
With so much possibly in flux for the Lakers, banking on a high-floor wing is a good bet.