Lakers news: Josh Hart is going to be an x-factor as a rookie

The latest Lakers news is about why Josh Hart is going to be a big x-factor right away.

Looking at all of the Lakers news that has been coming in, worrying about their latest draft picks is at the forefront of the conversation now. Josh Hart, among others, were taken by Los Angeles in this summer’s draft.

Hart hails from Villanova, where he won a title two seasons ago. His college accomplishments while part of Villanova’s basketball team can’t be ignored.

Per Sports Illustrated:

"His list of accomplishments runs further still: Hart was a first-team All-American and won conference player of the year as a senior, won the sixth man award as a sophomore and won conference tourney MVP in each of those seasons."

Surprisingly, Hart could be that player to Magic Johnson that D’Angelo Russell wasn’t. While maybe not the biggest name, he can step up as one of the leaders and take control.

Not to mention the fact that he’s a guard who could develop something special with fellow rookie Lonzo Ball in the meanwhile.

All in all, he’s going to have to keep grinding at the next level. He had to return to school after teams felt he wasn’t ready last season. Now, with that additional season under his belt, he’ll explode onto the floor in the NBA.

This is one of the draft picks that was a right move for the Lakers. Given their trade with Brooklyn that still is taking the internet by storm, Hart is a solid replacement for Russell if his game translates enough.

That being said, the Lakers need to keep their expectations reasonable. Unless we see something similar to Linsanity years ago, Hart won’t be a season MVP or anything like that.

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But his value to Los Angeles might not be measurable.