10 Reasons why Lakers will Draft Lonzo Ball
Earlier, we did a piece on reasons why the LA Lakers should avoid drafting Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick. And our top reason: his dad, LaVar Ball.
It’s pretty bad when your father is a primary reason why an NBA team shouldn’t pick you.
But is there a case for the Lakers taking Lonzo?
Find out as we cover 10 reasons why LA needs to take Lonzo Ball on June 22.
1. His Passing is Incredible
Lonzo Ball is sometimes compared to Lakers great Magic Johnson due to his slick passing. In fact, Magic himself has said the same (see below).
The tape says everything, as you can see from a couple of highlight videos on Lonzo’s passing. He can even pass the ball through a moving SUV!
2. He’s a 6’6″ Point Guard
From 6’9″ Magic to 6’7″ Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, everybody gets excited about a tall point guard. After all, a large lead guard creates matchup problems for the opposing team.
At 6’6″, Lonzo is a tantalizing prospect who could be the next legendary big point guard.
3. Major Draft Sites Have Have Kept Lonzo at No. 2
It’s ultimately up to the Lakers to decide what they’ll do with their lofty draft pick.
But for what it’s worth, leading sites NBADraft.net and DraftExpress.com have kept Lonzo in the No. 2 slot for months.
Both sites have also had loads of good things to say about the UCLA man. Here’s one excerpt from NBADraft.net:
“At 6’6″ with a 6’9″ wingspan, Ball has a unique set of physical tools for a point guard that will provide him with a number of advantages in the pros … One of the first things that stands out about Ball is his elite transition play … It starts with his ability to force turnovers and haul in defensive boards to push the ball up the floor and begin the break … He also has tremendous speed in the open floor when the ball is in his hands, but the skill that truly transcends above all other players his age is his elite vision, creativity and passing ability.”
4. Markelle Fultz is Going to Philadelphia
Thanks to their recent trade with the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers will soon add Washington point guard Markelle Fultz to their stable of young talent.
The Lakers had expressed interest in Fultz too, but ultimately couldn’t get a deal done with Philly.
With the top point guard prospect off the board, Ball is the next best thing.
5. Ball Outplayed Fultz
When the Washington Huskies and UCLA Bruins met in February, nobody expected this to be a contest. And it wasn’t…with the Bruins winning 107-66.
Of course, Fultz didn’t have much help as the Huskies finished 9-22, including 13 straight losses to end the season.
But what about Ball vs. Fultz?
Fultz had a solid game with 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-10 from three-point range. He also chipped in 5 assists and 3 steals.
But where Fultz struggled was his ball handling, committing 5 turnovers.
Ball was slightly better across the board, scoring 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting (4-of-7 three’s), grabbing 6 boards, tallying 5 assists, getting 4 steals, and committing just 4 turnovers.
Considering that his team got the win and he put up the numbers, Lonzo edged Fultz in this matchup.
6. Hamstring Injury & “Three White Guys” to Blame for Kentucky Performance
Even if Ball played well against Fultz, the catch is that he was thoroughly outplayed by Kentucky freshman De’Aaron Fox in both meetings last season.
This includes an Elite Eight performance, where Fox outscored Ball 39-10. But there may be an asterisk here.
LaVar Ball says that Lonzo had a bum hamstring when he played against Fox the second time. He also blamed UCLA’s 86-75 loss to Kentucky on “three white guys” with “slow foot speed.”
Okay, so the last one may not be a legitimate excuse for his son scoring just 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. But the hamstring thing is a decent excuse.
7. Ball is More Athletic than Scouts Think
One knock against Ball’s ability is that he’s supposedly not very athletic. But I have a hard time believing this when watching his highlight clips.
Maybe he’s not as quick as Fox defensively. But then again, Fox doesn’t quite have a 40-inch vertical, and can’t do some of these things:
8. Lonzo’s Defense is Better than People Think
The other big knock against Ball is that his defense isn’t great. Again, he’s not the perimeter hound that Fox is.
But UCLA coach Steve Alford wasn’t complaining about his 1.8 steals per game either.
As you can see in this scouting video from Laker Film Room, he does good things like fighting over screens and applying pressure once over them. But he needs to work on sliding defensively, rather than hopping.
9. Ball’s Jumper is Weird – But It’s Good
Lonzo Ball doesn’t have a pure shooting stroke like Klay Thompson. Instead, he has an awkward side-stance jump shot.
Nevertheless, it’s effective, as you can see below:
10. His Dad is a Hell of an Entertainer
At worst case scenario, the Lakers draft Ball and he’s an underwhelming defender who throws some good passes and makes a few three’s every game.
But one thing we can guarantee is that his father, Lonzo Ball, will bring the entertainment off the court!
This isn’t always a good thing because it can give opposing teams more motivation. And this point is contradictory to what we stated in the other article about Ball and the Lakers.
But it also makes for some interesting marketing opportunities for LA. After all, no sports dad in history has ever been this famous.