Los Angeles Lakers: 5 reasons Lonzo Ball was the right pick

5. Physical attributes

Standing 6’6″ with a 6’9″ wingspan, Ball’s height and length give him an immediate advantage over opposing point guards. The ability to see over the defense and view the court in a half-court sense provides with a unique point of difference that very few point guards possess.

Then there is his athleticism, which he uses to great effect, particularly in the open floor.

Ball’s ability to hit the glass himself, and push the tempo for his team, has him compared to Jason Kidd in a number of circles.

At 6’4″, Kidd had a career rebounding average of 6.3, including seven seasons averaging at least 7.0 per game. Just last season in the NBA, point guard Russell Westbrook averaged 10.7 rebounds per game, ranking 11th in the league.

Averaging 6.0 rebounds per game last season for UCLA, there is no reason Ball can’t continue crashing the boards as a Laker.

Furthermore, the Lakers’ recent acquisition at center, Brook Lopez, isn’t exactly a monster on the boards, averaging just 5.4 rebounds per game last season. Therefore, there’s every chance the Lakers, who ranked 17th last season in rebounding, will need to utilize Ball’s elite athleticism to assist with this area of play.

While he didn’t excel in this area in college, Ball’s physical attributes should ensure that in the long run he becomes a more than capable presence on the defensive end of the floor. With likely starting shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, who is an excellent athlete and decent defender, the Lakers will need all the help they can following a season ranking last in the league in defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) at 110.6.