2019 NBA Mock Draft: A crazy lottery throws everything into question
. G. Vanderbilt. Darius Garland. 4. player. 20
Garland is another player who was not at the combine last week to speak with media, meet with teams or show front offices how his recovery from a torn meniscus is going. Of course, the trading of medical records and one-on-one meetings could still happen over the next month leading up to the draft, but the people around Garland convinced him this was not worthwhile. He left Chicago early Thursday, reportedly with a promise that made him comfortable he would be selected in a range satisfying to him.
Via KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune:
“Garland, who played in only five games before a meniscus injury ended his lone college season, left the draft combine this week with an alleged draft promise from a lottery team. Multiple league executives assume it’s from the Lakers or Suns.”
This is fascinating, but Johnson is not the only one to hear it. Early Thursday, around the time Garland left the combine, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report tweeted something to the same effect, though he singled out the Suns specifically.
As someone who covers the Suns professionally, it would be surprising to see Phoenix finally land on Garland as the guy to pair with Devin Booker long-term. The pair’s fit is less than ideal as both players need the ball in their hand more than the other’s style can afford and neither has much of a high ceiling on defense.
So the Lakers make more sense from a fit perspective, as pairing Garland with Lonzo Ball would be a fascinating counterpunch to teams who in the past were able to key into LeBron James and Brandon Ingram. Adding Garland to the mix makes it tough to overplay anyone. Does James want to play with a rookie coming off a torn meniscus, though?