2018 NBA Mock Draft: Who’s moving at the top?
C. Chalmette High School. Mitchell Robinson. 25. player. 20.
There’s no way, in my mind, that Robinson falls out of the first round even considering his odd pre-professional situation and teams’ lack of intel about him. The Lakers, after trading Larry Nance Jr. and likely moving on from Julius Randle this summer, could be the team to take a chance on him.
Another factor working in Los Angeles’ favor is the lack of big man depth in this year’s drat outside the lottery. Once Jontay Porter decided to return to Missouri, Robinson became the only big man prospect with first-round hype who could be taken between 15-30. There’s a chance that comes as a result of the league’s increased reliance on small lineups and smaller, more versatile payers, but it’s also representative of a lack of talent.
The Lakers have some young depth at just about every position outside, from Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart to Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. They don’t really have a young big to develop alongside the rest of the roster, so I could see them taking a chance on Robinson.
But! We’re going to try something new this week — if you think there’s a player at this spot who would fit better with the Lakers’ roster, or a different team that Robinson could land with, use #FanSidedMock to let me know. I’ll try and respond to everyone who participates using that hashtag.