Los Angeles Lakers: Three bold predictions for Josh Hart next season

Josh Hart has emerged as a fan favorite on the Los Angeles Lakers after his great performances last season and an even better Summer League in 2018.

The Los Angeles Lakers selected guard Josh Hart out of Villanova with the last pick of the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. At the time, Hart seemed like he was going to be a difference maker as a role player, and to us, seemed like he was going to be the sleeper selection of the year.

As the season went along, Kyle Kuzma emerged as the obvious sleeper pick and Hart became more and more of an afterthought. Kuzma made the All-Rookie First Team and was the best possible selection the Los Angeles Lakers could have made with the 27th overall pick.

While Kuzma was still solid and had a ton of potential, his averages were not the best and the playing time became limited. That was until a banged-up Lakers team also lost Lonzo Ball and Hart was given an opportunity to shine.

From the beginning of February to the end of the season, Hart played in 18 games and averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Up to that point, Hart had just two games in which he scored more than 14 points.

Fans have seen what Hart is capable of and he is going to be one of the more interesting players to watch on the Lakers this season. There is a chance he could find his place as a decent role player, or, could really blossom into yet another young superstar the Lakers were not expecting.

The future is still unknown but we think we know how Hart is going to play next year. Here are three bold predictions for Hart’s 2018-2019 season.