Well, yes -- the Lakers "blew" by the Celtics when they secured the #2 pick in the draft. They smartly played for a top 5 pick and they ended being the only team to move up in the lottery (of course).
D'Angelo Russel has the most upside of any player on either team. Julius Randle could be #2 (but not necessarily). Kobe remains the best player at present (my opinion based on his on-court performance last year despite injuries and a poor shooting percentage).
Arguably...
I don't see as much upside in Russel as others do. I admit I haven't watched huge amounts of tape of these guys, but I've seen enough to get a decent idea of the type of players they all are. If I were Boston and I landed in the top 2, there's no way i would have taken Russel over Okafor.
In fact I didn't think there was a single guard / SF in this draft that has clear superstar potential. They all just look like they'll become 'nice' players.
There's also no way Randle is #2. He's 6'9" and 250 pounds with a 6'11" wingspan (that's shorter than Jae Crowder), no jump shot, no passing ability and horrible defensive instincts. I don't think a player with Randle's physical profile + skill set has every become more than a 'decent starter' in the NBA.
But Kobe, Bass and Hibbert are not the reasons I think the Lakers have surpassed the C's. It's because they have a legit building block. All LA needs is one true building block (once Kobe is gone) to lure a couple top tier FAs. In 2-4 years LA will be back in contention -- this is the surest bet in sports. C's could be anywhere at all 4 years from now. This is not due to Kupchek over Ainge; it's because the Lakers' FA advantage will play itself out eventually.
I'd disagree.
If you ask me Kobe is the Lakers only exceptional piece. Why? Because this year he's Kobe, and next year he's a $25M expiring contract.
Boston is going to win a LOT more games than LA this year though.