Los Angeles Lakers: Grading the 2017 NBA Draft class after rookie year

If the basketball court were a classroom, the Los Angeles Lakers’ group of 2017 draft picks would be very happy with the grades they’d be bringing home after their rookie campaigns.

Despite missing the 2018 NBA Playoffs, this past season was a great one for the Los Angeles Lakers. They put together their first promising effort in years, watching their young core of rising stars shine brighter than most talking heads expected.

While most would prefer to look toward the blindingly bright future, it seems like the right time to take a quick glimpse back at the 2017-18 season. More specifically, I want to look at how the Lakers’ incoming class of rookie performed, handing out grades for what they put on display throughout the year.

Overall, it was an excellent season for the Los Angeles rookies. If they were still in grade school, their parents would all be ecstatic with this report card — except LaVar Ball; I don’t think that man is ever truly satisfied unless a camera is in his face and he’s at the top of the day’s trending news. Any normal parent, though, would be pleased.

Now that we’ve got that all out in the open, let’s look at my grades for the Lakers’ 2017 draft class. This may have been the strongest class across all 30 NBA teams, and my grading speaks to the dominance they displayed at times for one of the league’s up-and-coming franchises.

No. 42 overall pick: Thomas Bryant

If this was just based off of his G League performance this season, Thomas Bryant would be getting a A+. The kid was a revelation for the South Bay Lakers, stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis and giving the organization as a whole an exciting young big man to watch in wonder.

According to Bleacher Report‘s Eric Pincus, Magic Johnson is particularly intrigued by Bryant’s future:

That’s all fine and dandy, but when he did see the floor for the Lakers, the results were less than spectacular. Bryant’s shooting was subpar, he didn’t stand out on defense and only provided the occasional spark — while typically playing in garbage time. Overall, I think his brief looks with the Lakers (15 games) left something to be desired.

Don’t get me wrong, though — I think the potential is there for him to be a difference-maker somewhere down the road. Then again, I also thought that about Ivica Zubac, and it’s looking like he’s being slowly faded out of the picture in Los Angeles.

Bryant was a star for South Bay, earning valuable experience and undergoing significant growth along the way. He even impressed enough to finish second in G League Rookie of the Year voting (via NBA.com). Unfortunately, that same shimmer didn’t show when he played for Los Angeles, which is when it matters most.

I’m giving him a “B-” because of his G League dominance, but he needs to show more in the NBA moving forward if he plans on sticking around.

Grade: B-

No. 30 overall pick: Josh Hart

Another pat on the back for the Lakers scouting staff. Not only did they hit a home run with Kyle Kuzma at No. 27, but they followed it up with a second dinger at No. 30 overall. Josh Hart wasn’t seen as a rising star before the year, but he’s got a lot of fans around the league now.

That’s due to more than just his love for Fortnite, though.

The kid is good. Like, really good. An exceptional 3-and-D player in the making, Hart wins with tenacity, swagger and plenty of skill. Although it took some time for him to finally get an extended look, he helped Lake Show fans put the team’s decision to trade Jordan Clarkson out of their minds.

When Los Angeles needed some additional bench scoring, Hart was the man. When the Lakers were short on guards and needed someone to step up, they called on Hart. Despite his status as a rookie, the Villanova product played well beyond his years like his fellow late first round pick. Especially when injuries began pilling up, Hart seized the opportunity to shine in an expanded role.

The future looks very bright for Hart, who’s another steal in the making. His ceiling may not be as high as Kuzma’s, but he could very well carve out a role for himself as one of the Lakers’ most dependable, energetic bench players. On top of that, he’s helping this young core build chemistry while providing the fans with some high-quality entertainment — on and off the court.

Grade: A

No. 27 overall pick: Kyle Kuzma

I don’t think this pick could have gone any better. Heck, you can probably make the case that this was arguably the most cost-effective selection of the 2017 NBA Draft. If Kyle Kuzma continues on his current trajectory, he could end up being one of the biggest steals in NBA Draft history.

Yes, he was that good as a rookie. Whether he was taking (and sinking) clutch shots, using an uncanny feel for creating offensive opportunities or simply providing the Lakers with a spark, there seemed nothing he couldn’t do on the offensive end.

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He finished his rookie year averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, shooting 45 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from 3-point range.

Kuzma was deadly from the field. He also rebounded better than folks expected. Often times, he simply took over games, scoring in bunches and using every weapon in his arsenal to keep defenses guessing. The decision to call Kuzma’s name at No. 27 overall worked out better than the Lakers ever could have imagined.

Now there’s obviously room for growth. At times, Kuzma was a sieve on defense. He’s going to need significant work on that end of the court. As polished and creative of a talent as he is when it comes to scoring the basketball, he’s going to need to learn that Los Angeles needs that type of effort when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands as well.

Still, for a late first round pick, Kuzma was a sensation. Even if the rest of the Lakers’ 2017 draft class flops, the scouting staff will get major kudos for unearthing this diamond.

Grade: A+

No. 2 overall pick: Lonzo Ball

For the Lakers, it all starts with Lonzo Ball, the new face of the franchise — at least, for now.

The rookie sensation was built up to be a superstar in the making after Magic Johnson made him the No. 2 overall pick. Although I wouldn’t say he disappointed as a rookie, I’m not entirely sure he lived up to the overwhelming hype either. Then again, is it even possible to turn the rubbish that spews out of LaVar Ball’s mouth into reality?

Regardless, it was an outstanding year for Lonzo, who had unbearable pressure strapped to his shoulders from Day 1. His scoring wasn’t quite there at 10.2 points per game and the shooting (.360/.305/.451 splits) was off, though it got better as the year progressed. The playmaking was as advertised, with his outstanding passing and feel for the game on display nightly with 7.2 assists per game. His defensive dominance was a pleasant surprise.

Still, there’s one thing that really got me about Ball’s rookie campaign: the 30 missed games. It seemed he was always battling some injury, forcing him to sit out more than a third of the season. Now I know that the Lakers were often being cautious, but it’s concerning nonetheless when a 20-year-old is missing that much time due to injury.

That’s largely why Ball gets a “B+” from me, along with the other aforementioned concerns. The Lakers were better with him in the lineup, but he wasn’t in the lineup enough. Hopefully he can stay on the court a bit more in 2018-19, allowing us to see the full extent of the havoc his superior talents can wreak.

Next: Power ranking all 16 teams in the 2018 NBA Playoffs

Grade: B+