With the Lakers back in the lottery and tourney time here, there are a lot of players that are worth watching. As mentioned in a prior article, the Lakers are still in talent accumulation mode, so acquiring talent that is most likely to succeed is a better direction than drafting out of positional need.

Frankly, with LeBron James on board and lots of Laker fans unwilling to trade the Lakers young players, it wouldn’t hurt to add depth at any position.

That being said, here’s a general list of 20 prospects to watch with Selection Sunday upon us and the NCAA Tournament set to start.

Zion Williamson, Big, Duke RJ Barrett, Wing, Duke Jarrett Culver, Guard, Texas Tech Darius Garland, Guard, Vanderbilt (out for season) De’Andre Hunter, Wing, Virginia Brandon Clarke, Big, Gonzaga Ja Morant, Guard, Murray State Jaxson Hayes, Big, Texas Jontay Porter Jr., Big, Missouri (out for season) Coby White, Guard, North Carolina Nickiel Alexander-Walker, Guard, Virginia Tech Talen Horton-Tucker, Wing, Iowa State P.J. Washington, Wing, Kentucky Kevin Porter Jr., Wing, USC Grant Williams, Wing, Tennessee KZ Okpala, Wing, Stanford Bruno Fernando, Big, Maryland Romeo Langford, Guard, Indiana Cam Reddish, Wing, Duke Tre Jones, Guard, Duke

Of course, this is a preliminary mock draft for the top 20 players, and team draft positions aren’t set. There are quite a few players here where I think team situation changes the draft position entirely.

I don’t think Ja Morant would do as well as a Laker, as opposed to playing for a team like the Phoenix Suns or New Orleans Pelicans.

Things get even more confusing for players like Romeo Langford. Shouldn’t he be a small forward at the NBA level instead of a shooting guard? He has a great defensive motor, great length, good vision with the ball, but doesn’t have a great first step to get by guards.

Maybe it would be best if he could try to get a step on some bigger wing players instead. What about Cam Reddish? What do you do with a player that has shown to be turnover prone and hasn’t shot with any kind consistency, despite being a 3-and-D player for Duke with Zion Williamson healthy and a playmaker when Williamson was out?

At the timing of this article being written, the Lakers are currently projected at the 10th spot in the draft. Here’s a more detailed look at some of the prospects that could be in their range.

Coby White, North Carolina – Considering North Carolina’s advanced offensive system, he’s a point guard that has excelled as a freshman. More importantly, he’s found a way to keep himself involved in the offense with good shot selection in regards to his individual shot creation. He’s aggressive, attacks the basket, has a good first step with great brakes and that opens up his stepback jumper. He plays for one of the faster-paced teams at the NCAA level, so transitioning to Lakers pace shouldn’t be as much of an issue.

Nickiel Alexander-Walker, Virginia Tech – Smooth shooting guard that has initiated the offense for the Hokies. Good decision-maker that rarely plays outside of his talent level. He favors a dart-like left-handed pass off the dribble, especially out of pick and roll situations to corner shooters. Hovers over 38 percent shooting behind the arc, but displays true point-guard like abilities at 6’5″.

Talen Horton-Tucker, Iowa State – A modern forward with guard-like skills. Tremendous touch around the paint. Strong at 6’4″, 235 pounds but with a 7’1″ wingspan that allows him to play multiple positions. Aggressive when he’s attacking the basket with good form behind the arc. The shooting does need to come around for him, but he isn’t shy about taking shots behind the arc, while at the same time, could potentially excel at the 4, 3 and 2 slots given his athleticism, strength, and length combination.

P.J. Washington, Kentucky – Classic power forward but far more consistent behind the arc with a basic but solid post game. His motor was a question mark during his freshman year but he turned it up for most of this season. Good rim protection instincts further aided by a 7’3″ wingspan. Good mid-range game and currently shooting 42 percent behind the arc on just over two attempts per game. Underrated passer. Just a long term, solid NBA player.

Kevin Porter Jr., USC – Probably the most upside of the entire group, but a wildcard with decision-making. Does a great job of creating space for his individual shot creation, but doesn’t reflect great free throw rate despite his great size, athleticism, skill combination. If he adds discipline on both ends of the floor, he could be a star player down the line. If not, he could be a great bench scorer. But patience does need to be shown for his development and decision-making isn’t the easiest to solve.

That being said, of this list, the Lakers have a chance of getting a strong NBA prospect. The question mark is will Magic Johnson make the decision? Or will the scouting team? It seems when the scouting team does, the Lakers do well in the draft. When it’s Magic Johnson, there isn’t as much confidence.

The best case scenario is Magic and the scouting team both seeing and agreeing on the same player. But for now, we’ve got the tournament, player workouts, and player interviews to help sort out the best player available.