2017 NBA Draft: Lonzo Ball gets a second meeting with the Lakers
By Jason Reed
With the 2017 NBA Draft only a week away, the speculation continues to rise. One of the draft’s most polarizing stars is getting a second meeting with the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have some choices to make in the 2017 NBA Draft. After yet another lottery year, the Lakers find themselves with the second overall selection in a stacked draft class. This had led to a great problem for the Lakers; they don’t know who to pick.
There are so many viable stars in this draft that can make a day one impact. Markelle Fultz is fantastic, although he may go number one overall. Josh Jackson has the potential to be a great scoring shooting guard early in his career, eventually moving to small forward. De’Aaron Fox and Dennis Smith Jr. are both athletic freaks, giving their NBA team a very athletic point guard.
Then, there is one prospect that seems to stand head and shoulders above the rest. He does not stand head and shoulders above in talent, instead, in marketability. This prospect has been the talk of the NBA before he even committed to the 2017 NBA Draft. This prospect is Lonzo Ball.
Ball has seemed to be the ideal fit for the Los Angeles Lakers for quite some time now. His playmaking ability is something the Lakers lack, as he would come in and provide a spark for this young unit. Ball may not be a huge scorer, but he will only make D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, and Julius Randle better with his playmaking ability.
This is huge for a young Lakers team that in times has shown promise, but overall has not been able to piece it together. Ball seems to be the guy, yet there is still question marks around him.
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First, we all know about his outlandish father, LaVar Ball. LaVar has claimed that he could beat Michael Jordan, that his son is the next Magic Johnson, and that his three basketball prodigies deserve a $1 billion shoe deal.
Then, there is his athleticism, which became a problem in his first workout with the Lakers. Ball reportedly seemed “out of shape,” which has risen doubt in the Lakers executives.
However, Ball still seems to be the most likely choice for the Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After Josh Jackson received a second workout on Tuesday, the Lakers have scheduled Ball to have one last pre-draft meeting on Friday.
What is the importance of this? Well, despite working out Fultz and Fox as well, the Lakers seem to be narrowing it down to two men; Ball and Jackson.
With his outlandish father, this meeting may be the final deciding factor for the Lakers. If Los Angeles can be convinced that Ball is a humble, team-first guy instead of this character that his father is, it could be enough to swing the selection in Ball’s favor.
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If Lonzo Ball cannot be that convincing and fails to wow the Lakers officials with his personality, then we may be seeing Josh Jackson gearing up in purple and gold in 2017.