With the top of the 2025 NBA Draft order decided, several mock drafts are beginning to emerge. While the lottery picks will receive a lot of attention, the Los Angeles Lakers will make their first decision at pick No. 55.
At this point in the draft, the Lakers are unlikely to uncover a guy who can contribute as a rookie. They may, however, invest on someone who has some upside potential.
It is no secret that the Lakers require size. They might still be playing if they had better center play this year. They cannot begin the 2025-26 season with Jaxson Hayes starting.
They are unlikely to discover their starting center in the second round, but they may add a large body for depth. In his latest NBA mock draft for Bleacher Report, Jonathan Wasserman predicts the Lakers will pick Australian center Rocco Zikarsky with the 55th pick.
“The draft process will be important for Rocco Zikarsky after an unproductive season that ended early due to injury,” Wasserman said. “A mobile, 7’2” 18-year-old with pro experience may persuade some teams to bet and be patient. The last several rounds have showed clubs interested in adding Zikarsky’s size in the middle, even if they lack a modernized skill set.
Scouting Report for Zikarsky
Zikarsky does not mind his size. He’s one of the most important players in the draft and is still extremely young. If he can improve his skill set, he may be an interesting player.
The NBA Draft Room lauded Zikarsky’s ability to take use of his superior size.
“Rocco is a large center designed in the Mark Eaton/Walker Kessler style. “He’s a dominant force in the paint, protecting the rim and rebounding the hell out of the ball,” NBA Draft Room stated.
“He does an excellent job of standing up and holding his own in the paint, and he has strong shot blocking reflexes. He has good recognizing skills and can come off his man to block shots on the weak side.
His enormous height and lengthy arms enable him to block and change shots without having to leave the ground.”
However, Zikarsky has a relatively restricted offensive skill set, and his defensive ability is troubling.
“He’s not much of a jump shot right now, but that could change over time. “Has good passing instincts, can play in the high post, and is good with the ball in his hands,” NBA Draft Room stated.
“His greatest problem at the NBA level will be guarding in space and keeping up with the tempo of play. He has good mobility but isn’t a particularly agile or speedy athlete.
Lakers will turn over every stone to find center.
The Lakers are well aware of how devastating their lack of a center was during the playoffs. They cannot make the playoffs next year with substandard play at the position. There are currently too many good bigs in the Western Conference.
The notion was that Luka Doncic and LeBron James would be dominating enough to compensate for the lack of a center, but this was not the case. The team’s first priority this offseason is to locate a more reliable alternative at the position.
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