EL SEGUNDO – Josh Jackson’s presence at the Lakers’ practice facility Tuesday afternoon was another indication the Lakers mostly liked what they saw during Jackson’s private workout last week in Sacramento.
“I don’t know if they were impressed or not,” said Jackson, a former Kansas standout who is believed to be one of three candidates the Lakers are considering for their No. 2 pick in next week’s NBA draft. “Hopefully they were.”
Jackson had a private workout on Tuesday at the Lakers’ practice facility, but that doesn’t mean the team is any closer to finalizing its plans. The Lakers hosted Kentucky guard De’Aaron Fox for a workout on Tuesday morning, but they also plan to bring UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball back for a second workout. Washington guard Markelle Fultz, widely believed to be the player the Boston Celtics covet with the No. 1 pick, is also expected to work out for the Lakers.
Jackson, who can play shooting guard and small forward, touted his versatility and ability to defend both positions. He sounded mindful, though, of the Lakers’ possible interest in upgrading their backcourt.
“The point guards in this draft are really, really, really good and are special,” Jackson said. “I don’t think you can look past anybody in this draft, point guard or forward. It doesn’t matter. This is a really good draft class and probably one of the best I’ve seen in the last couple of years.”
Yet, a player such as Jackson could have an advantage with his position-less versatility. He also downplayed any possible complications that could come from playing with Lakers small forward Brandon Ingram. He brought up the recent NBA Finals matchup between Golden State and Cleveland to explain why.
“When it’s winning time, there is no five-man (center) on the court,” Jackson said. “There is no four-man (power forward) on the court. There is pretty much forwards and guards all playing at the same time. I don’t really think me and Brandon playing in the same position would cause any problems. I think it would be really special.”
The Lakers generally liked Jackson’s energy and shooting in his first workout, while cautioning themselves about the difficulty of evaluating any player in an individual workout. Yet, Jackson conceded he “was a little more in shape” for his second workout.
“I was kind of in my comfort zone back then,” Jackson said. “Today I got out of my comfort zone a little bit and working out with their training staff. I think both went pretty well.”
