Garland
Garland's freshman season ended abruptly because of a knee injury just five games in, leaving a cloud of mystery regarding exactly what to expect from him as an NBA rookie. Nevertheless, there's a lot to like about his ability to operate at different speeds, handle the ball on a string and make pull-up jumpers from difficult vantage points. The lack of star power overall and general depth at the point guard position gradually pushed Garland up the lottery as executives expressed disenchantment with the alternatives.
Garland's slender frame, negative assist-to-turnover ratio and lack of experience at the college level are things he'll have to address during the pre-draft process, but he's a natural option here.
Garland is a strong fit alongside
Lonzo Ball and
LeBron James. The Lakers need more shot creation and shot-making on their roster, and Garland is a good fit here. The fact that he shares the same agent as James probably won't hurt.