Media

Here’s how the Lakers strongly influenced Pat Riley’s decision to draft Precious Achiuwa

Published by

Robert Marvi

November 19, 2020 4:18 pm

The Los Angeles Lakers are the reigning NBA champs, and their elite size, led by Anthony Davis, seems to be causing a ripple effect around the league.

Miami Heat team president Pat Riley hinted that his team’s inability to deal with Davis, Javale McGee and Dwight Howard during the 2020 NBA Finals influenced the decision to draft 6-foot-9 forward Precious Achiuwa in the first round on Wednesday night.

Davis crushed it during the championship series, causing all sorts of problems for Miami.

There’s no doubt that the NBA is a copycat league and that teams often make moves to adjust to the reigning champs.

On the other hand, the Lakers could look somewhat different when the new season starts next month. Howard is expected to test free agency, and McGee could follow suit if he opts out of his contract.

Since Davis has stated that he’d prefer not to play at center, L.A. will likely look to have two true centers on its roster once the 2020-21 season starts.

Whether or not it’s still Howard and McGee filling those roles remains to be seen.

Robert Marvi

Robert is a native of Santa Monica, Calif., and a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has been an avid NBA fan since he was a little kid in the mid '90s and fell in love with the Nick Van Exel-led Lakers teams. He truly cherishes the Kobe Bryant-era of Lakers basketball and the five world championships that came with it, and is looking forward to the team's next NBA title.