Boatwright’s Best Fit in the 2017 NBA Draft

Bennie Boatwright returning to USC was a huge thing for the Trojans. Boatwright was a key piece to the team making the NCAA Tournament despite him missing 17 games with a knee injury early in the season. Boatwright led the Trojans in scoring with 15.1 points per game as well as a team leading 4.5 rebounds per game.

Boatwright brought a versatile game to USC that allowed Coach Andy Enfield to play small ball and space the floor. He could post up or play at the perimeter which can create some matchup problems for teams who like to play big.

Boatwright is also one of the Trojans more efficient shooters from beyond the arc, shooting close to 40% from the three point line. The return of Boatwright means the Trojans has the potential to score in multiple ways.

Now we have to wonder, what if Boatwright opted to move forward and keep his name in the 2017 NBA Draft? You could make the argument that he could be drafted in the first round.

With his ability to post up and to stretch the floor, a he could definitely find some solid rotational minutes on a team. I don’t think he would be a lottery pick in this year’s class, but I think a team in the late first round would take a chance on him.

A good fit for Boatwright just so happens to play right down Figueroa from USC, The Los Angeles Lakers. A stretch four that could play down low or leak out beyond the perimeter would definitely fit Luke Walton’s style of play—especially with the Lakers moving towards a small ball style of play.

Boatwright would give the Lakers that rotational versatility that Luke Walton is looking for in the front court.