Los Angeles Lakers Select Lonzo Ball In Latest Mock Draft From The Vertical

The Los Angeles Lakers select UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball in the most recent NBA mock draft from The Vertical.

The Los Angeles Lakers are doing everything in their power to land a top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Not only would selecting that high net them a very talented player, they have to finish the top three or else they lose their pick.

If the Lakers draft pick falls outside of the top three, they will have to send that pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition to losing their selection this year, the Lakers would also have to send their 2019 first-round pick to the Orlando Magic.

The Lakers know they cannot afford to lose one, let alone two draft picks. So, they have taken some extreme measures to increase their odds of losing games. They traded away arguably their best player this season in Lou Williams at the NBA trade deadline.

The Lakers also shut down Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov despite them being healthy.

It is all-in for an effort to lose as many games as possible. Against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night the Lakers had only one player step on the court, Corey Brewer, that had more than two years of NBA experience.

Los Angeles Lakers /

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers would eventually lose the game but played very well for three quarters to give the Wizards all they could handle.

If the Lakers continue losing games they will increase their odds of holding onto their 2017 first-round pick. Right now, only the Brooklyn Nets have a worse record than the Lakers.

The Phoenix Suns are only a half game better than the Lakers right now, so they will need to continue losing or else be in real danger of losing their pick.

It would be a big blow to the Lakers if they lost the pick. This draft is considered to be very deep with some very talented point guards. In the latest mock draft from The Vertical, the Lakers land one of those highly touted point guards.

With the second overall pick in their latest mock draft, the Lakers select UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball. Here is what Jonathan Givony had to say about Ball landing with the Lakers.

"The Lakers will be on pins and needles once again on the night of the lottery because this pick will be conveyed to Philadelphia if it falls outside of the top three. Ball’s size, perimeter shooting and unselfishness make him an ideal partner in the backcourt with combo guard D’Angelo Russell, who can also play off the ball. Ball has transformed UCLA’s culture with his court vision and passing acumen, and the Lakers’ new regime will want to see him do the same in Luke Walton’s up-tempo offense."

Ball was a human highlight reel for UCLA this season. He was excellent on both ends of the court as his size and length at 6-foot-6 give him some huge advantages over opposing point guards.

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With that size Ball also possesses explosive athleticism. He has long range on his jump shot and is as unselfish as they come. He enjoys getting his teammates involved, almost to a fault.

At times it seemed that Ball lacked that killer instinct offensively. He has the talent to take over a game whenever he wanted as he can get to the rim or beat teams with his jump shot. But it looked as if he was holding back at times when he could have really taken it to his opponent.

Ball does not come without his faults. Like many of these one-and-done players, Ball needs to add some strength. His unorthodox shooting form is weird to see at first, and could give him some difficulty against more athletic players at the next level.

But, it is hard to knock the form; he made 41.2 percent of his three-point shots and 55.1 percent from the field. His 67.3 percent from the line leaves something to be desired.

Ball would be an excellent addition to the Lakers. Given his size, he could play alongside either D’Angelo Russell or Jordan Clarkson. The Lakers would have one of the best backcourt trios in the NBA with those three players and could be the foundation of a Lakers rebuild.

The Lakers would have a very exciting perimeter for years to come if they added Ball. Along with the other guards, and Brandon Ingram, the Lakers would have endless combinations to use on the perimeter.

Next: 10 Matchups We Want To See In 2017 Playoffs

At this point in their rebuild the Lakers are just looking to add as much talent as possible. Luke Walton will worry about how it all fits together down the line. If they are able to land Ball, they will be taking another step closer to becoming contenders once again.

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