The Los Angeles Lakers brought in six more prospects for workouts Saturday ahead of the NBA draft, and Nah’Shon Hyland was among the players getting a look with L.A.
Hyland, who played for Virginia Commonwealth University for two seasons, is a 6-foot-3 guard regarded as one of the best shooters in the draft.
He made 37.1 percent of his 3-pointers on 7.8 attempts a game, one of the highest volumes for a collegiate player.
Hyland still has to improve in multiple facets of his game beyond 3-point shooting, but he doesn’t lack confidence getting to his spots and converting on jumpers.
That could bode well if he becomes a Laker; the team has the No. 22 pick.
Los Angeles experienced serious shortcomings on the offensive end of the floor against the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, and Hyland could be a reserve who could be called on to make buckets.
After Hyland’s workout with L.A., he discussed what it would be like if the Lakers drafted him, via Harrison Faigen of SB Nation:
“If I get picked to come here, it’s going to be a dream come true, a blessing just to be around just greats. You have something to strive for,” Hyland continued. “It’s just like ‘wow, I’m actually in here.’ You don’t want to take it for granted.”
Hyland’s position in the NBA has also been questioned. He’s fully capable of creating shots for himself, but he’s not at the level of creating for teammates efficiently yet.
He averaged more turnovers per game (3.1) than assists per game (2.1) in his last season at VCU. He discussed his positional versatility after his workout as well, via Faigen:
“Honestly, I’m just a hooper,” Hyland said. “People list me as a 1, people list me as a 2, I can play either position. I can play off the ball. I can shoot the lights out off the ball, I can shoot the lights out on the ball. I’m a very underrated passer, underrated playmaker. It just shows you my versatility, and I can do either or both at a high level for sure.”
Selecting a guard at No. 22 would make sense for L.A. since Alex Caruso, Dennis Schroder and Talen Horton-Tucker are free agents this summer. Horton-Tucker is a restricted free agent.
The NBA draft will take place on July 29.
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