NBA Draft: Olivier Hanlan appreciates Steve Nash’s mentorship

A hefty challenge soon awaits Olivier Hanlan, who will soon find out whether three successful seasons as Boston College’s point guard will carry over into an NBA dominated by them.

But as Hanlan discovers whether he can translate his experience running an offense, he will have a trusted mentor who appears more than happy to provide an assist.

Former Lakers guard Steve Nash already has a relationship with Hanlan through the Canadian’s men’s basketball team. Hanlan has played on the U-19 and U-17 national teams in recent years, while Nash has served as the organization’s general manager.

“I’ll definitely be in touch with him this summer,” Hanlan said of Nash this week after working out with the Lakers at their practice facility in El Segundo. “Whenever he sees me, he just talks to me about my game and gives me pointers.”

Those conversations both in person and in e-mail likely have involved feedback on how to perfect the pick-and-roll, improve shooting, read defenses and empower teammates. Hanlan fulfilled that job description well enough to average 17.8 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting and 3.1 assists through three seasons with the Eagles.

But few mastered those skills better than Nash, who won two regular-season MVP awards and climbed to third place on the league’s all-time assists list.

“He had some pretty amazing years in the NBA,” Hanlan said of Nash. “He’s not the most athletic and dunking on people. But it’s his skill level and attention to his craft, and everything like that. It’s amazing.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com