Los Angeles Lakers: 2017 Draft grades
No. 30 — Josh Hart
The Lakers made a lot of fans happy after trading down from the 28th pick by securing Josh Hart with the 30th pick.
Hart is a player who could make an immediate impact on the Lakers young roster next season. He played all four seasons of college at Villanova, maturing into a team leader and NCAA champion. Hart is a big guard who can shoot the basketball (again a key theme under Magic/Pelinka).
He finished his college career winning Big East Player of the Year, averaging 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He attempted a career high 5.1 three-pointers in his senior season, connecting on 40.4 percent of them.
Just how good was Hart’s Senior year?
Hart had the most Win Shares by a Big East player in a single-season since Kemba Walker in 2010-11 https://t.co/ztvxNnqUPI https://t.co/lASi1POPhP
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) June 23, 2017
Projecting his college numbers forward to the NBA, the advanced statistics love him, too.
The L.A. Lakers will get my favorite sleeper at No. 30 in Villanova's Josh Hart, who ranked eighth in my stats-only projections.
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) June 23, 2017
The Lakers should also be excited about Hart’s ability on the defensive side of the ball. He built a reputation in college as a tenacious defender who is able to guard multiple positions. His strength should help him translate his defensive game to the bigger NBA.
With Nick Young declining his player option, Josh Hart is a great replacement as a combo shooting guard who can also play along the wing as a forward.
Draft Grade: A