{"id":143807,"date":"2025-06-07T13:35:45","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T17:35:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=143807"},"modified":"2025-06-07T13:35:45","modified_gmt":"2025-06-07T17:35:45","slug":"lakers-pre-draft-workouts-omoruyi-ballo-huntley","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/06\/07\/lakers-pre-draft-workouts-omoruyi-ballo-huntley\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers Evaluate Three Bigs in Latest Pre-Draft Workouts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Lakers have expanded their prospect search with less than three weeks to go until the NBA Draft. A <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/hoopshype.com\/lists\/2025-nba-draft-workout-tracker-where-are-prospects-working-out\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent update from HoopsHype<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> indicates they\u2019ve looked at three frontcourt members who could help in unique ways.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Lakers Evaluate Three Bigs in Latest Pre-Draft Workouts<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><b>Clifford Omoruyi<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A springy 6\u201911\u201d center, Alabama\u2019s <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/clifford-omoruyi-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clifford Omoruyi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the exact kind of \u201clob threat\u201d that Rob Pelinka is looking for. The 23-year-old transferred to the Crimson Tide after his undergraduate stint at Rutgers. While starting 37 games, he averaged a modest 7.9 points and 6.5 rebounds on 73% shooting from the field.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A physical <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/nba\/draft\/prospect-profiles\/nba-draft-scouting-report-alabama-clifford-omoruyi\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">240 pounds<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/05\/28\/2025-nba-draft-cavs-mavs-same-alabama-prospect\/\" target=\"_self\">Omoruyi<\/a> operates very well in the pick-and-roll and does most of his scoring in the paint. He\u2019s also strong on the glass, grabbing 17% of Bama\u2019s boards when he was on the floor. Defensively, Omoruyi is an adequate shot blocker, posting 1.1 swats per game and a <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/b56WgPU_DT8?si=eFV9yjFGevHHdHwP&amp;t=89\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">block rate of 5.2%<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. He holds a career average of 1.7 blocks and is just one season removed from a career-best (and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/conferences\/big-ten\/men\/2024.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">conference-high<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">) 2.9 at Rutgers\u2014something aided by his 7\u20196\u201d wingpsan. Despite his talent on both sides of the ball, scouting reports note that he must improve his free-throw shooting (72% this season, 61% for his career), <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nbascoutinglive.com\/clifford-omoruyi-scouting-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">extend his range<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbusinessclassroom.com\/scouting-alabama-center-clifford-omoruyi\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">defend without fouling<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Clifford Omoruyi - Alabama - 2024-25 NBA Draft Scouting Highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b56WgPU_DT8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>Oumar Ballo<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another athletic and physical five man, <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lwysp8VZBiU\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oumar Ballo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> confirmed his pre-draft workout with the Lakers Friday via <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LALMuse\/status\/1931070983051346074\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The 7-footer spent his graduate year at Indiana, averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and two assists on 62% shooting. Ballo is mobile for his 260-pound frame, sometimes hustling for steals and being the play connector\u2014instead of a finisher\u2014in transition.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Longest Wingspans in 2025 NBA Draft<\/p>\n<p>1) Oumar Ballo &#8211; 7\u20197\u201d<br \/>2) Khaman Maluach &#8211; 7\u20196.75\u201d<br \/>3) Clifford Omoruyi &#8211; 7\u20196.25\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GlobalScouting_\/status\/1930435238028582950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similar to Omoruyi, Ballo has flashed his athleticism on many highlight plays and projects as an ideal complement to LA\u2019s main playmakers. His aforementioned 7\u20197\u201d wingspan allows him to make solid plays defensively, whether it\u2019s protecting the rim (1.3 BPG this season) or disrupting passing lanes. Additionally, it allows him to be effective on the glass, posting 3.0 offensive rebounds per game this year. The main concerns with Ballo come with his <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lwysp8VZBiU\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lack of speed and shooting range<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, with the 22-year-old garnering <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/nbadraftroom.com\/p\/oumar-ballo\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">comparisons<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to 2012 NBA champion <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/curryed01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eddy Curry<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and 2023 champ <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bryanth01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thomas Bryant<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"2025 NBA DRAFT HIGHLIGHTS: C Oumar Ballo | Indiana Basketball\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lwysp8VZBiU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><b>CJ Huntley<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">App State\u2019s <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.sports-reference.com\/cbb\/players\/cj-huntley-1.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CJ Huntley<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> plays more power forward than center, but he has traits to suggest he can succeed in either position. The 23-year-old, who <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/AppStateMBB\/status\/1930363829927719148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worked out for the Lakers on Tuesday<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is coming off a career year for the Mountaineers. In 31 games (all starts), he put up 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field, 35% from three and 69% from the free-throw line. His energy and 7\u20194\u201d wingspan were on display at this year\u2019s <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/hoopshype.com\/lists\/portsmouth-invitational-tournament-notebook-who-are-the-best-prospects\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Portsmouth Invitational Tournament<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where he averaged 11.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and one block on .615\/.375\/.500 splits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Huntley\u2019s mobility and shooting make him an intriguing prospect for the Lakers, as does his ability to shift between the four and the five. Even at <\/span><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.nbascoutinglive.com\/cj-huntley\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">221 pounds<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, he displayed a solid presence in the post, where he\u2019s able to finish with a decent hook shot. However, he&#8217;s still considered \u201craw\u201d for a fifth-year prospect, and he will likely be a project player for any team he joins.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">CJ Huntley is a MAJOR sleeper in the 2025 NBA Draft.\ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc8e  <\/p>\n<p>The 6\u201911\u201d forward was an All-SBC Second Team selection after a breakout season\u2014posting 10 double-doubles and shooting 36% from three.\ud83d\udcca<\/p>\n<p>A dominant post presence with a polished perimeter game.<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CJ15_Huntley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CJ15_Huntley<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DML__Ltd?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@DML__Ltd<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ByOlE0yyxq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/ByOlE0yyxq<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@greenlightbball) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/greenlightbball\/status\/1910439953844363383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">April 10, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a9 Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lakers have expanded their prospect search with less than three weeks to go until the NBA Draft. A recent update from HoopsHype indicates they\u2019ve looked at three frontcourt members who could help in unique ways. Lakers Evaluate Three Bigs in Latest Pre-Draft Workouts Clifford Omoruyi A springy 6\u201911\u201d center, Alabama\u2019s Clifford Omoruyi is the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4265,"featured_media":143819,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,26,62,556],"tags":[1504,3960,50149,2889],"class_list":["post-143807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-lakers","category-nba","category-nba-draft","tag-alabama-crimson-tide","tag-appalachian-state-mountaineers","tag-clifford-omoruyi","tag-indiana-hoosiers"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4265"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=143807"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143823,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143807\/revisions\/143823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/143819"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=143807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=143807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=143807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}