Los Angeles Lakers legend Mychal Thompson is one of the more vocal former players around the team. His role as color commentator for the Lakers radio broadcast on ESPN LA gives him an obvious platform to voice his opinions and he is not shy about doing so.
— Have you seen the ‘Lakers Nation’ phone case? —
As he prepared to cheer on his son Klay in the NBA Finals, Thompson gave some Lakers predictions for next year about who the team will draft, as well as anticipating a much later finish to the season according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News:
According to Thompson, the Lakers will draft Duke’s Jahlil Okafor with their No. 2 pick. Kobe Bryant will stay healthy in the 2015-16 season after nursing three season-ending injuries in consecutive years. The Lakers will advance to the Western Confernece semifinals after finishing this season with the team’s worst record in franchise history.
Though Thompson doesn’t believe that the Lakers will land a free agent such as Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge, he believes that the Lakers should add point guard Rajon Rondo and that Rondo would be a good addition to the roster:
It didn’t work out with him Dallas, but I like how tough and competitive he is,” Thompson said. “He and Kobe are close and he understands when you play for a coach like Byron, there’s zero tolerance.”
Rondo has been linked to the Lakers previously, but the team is reportedly torn about pursuing him. At his best, he is one of the best pure point guards in the NBA, but there are serious questions about his attitude and whether Rondo can return to that level after a horrendous stint with the Dallas Mavericks.
One thing that can not be argued is that Lakers fans would be ecstatic if the Lakers were able to prove Thompson right and make the playoffs after two terrible seasons. But in order for that to happen, a major improvement will have to be made this off-season.
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