Here are 5 prime reasons the Los Angeles Lakers’ selection of Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick was the right choice.
After much hype, the verdict is finally in.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball of UCLA with the No. 2 overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft.
Leading up to the draft itself, much conjecture surrounded the Lakers’ intentions regarding the pick. Would they package it to acquire a superstar? Would they look to train down and acquire more assets? Or simply, who were they actually targeting?
Josh Jackson of Kansas was one name thrown around, as was De’Aaron Fox of Kentucky.
But once it was all said and done, it appears the Lakers had their sights on the southern California native from the moment they landed the No. 2 pick.
Following the selection, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka spoke in a manner that suggested their decision had been made for some time.
"“There’s something very, very special about his basketball abilities. If you use a sports analogy….you look at passers like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, who just have an ability to do something that is so special with where they put the ball. The vision and abilities that Lonzo has just puts him in the class of being a transcendent talent.”"
Furthermore, the Lakers’ president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, sent out a simple tweet to signify the Lakers’ selection.
So before Ball hits the ground running in the upcoming Las Vegas Summer League, here are the five main reasons this was the right selection for the Lakers.