Los Angeles Lakers: 3 most underrated players heading into 2017-18

Josh Hart, SG

After the Lakers’ epic NBA Summer League run, most fans know plenty about Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Thomas Bryant. At this point, though, the team’s other recent draft addition seems to be going a tad unnoticed.

In case you missed it, I’m talking about Josh Hart. The former Villanova star was the last of the Lakers’ three first round picks in June. In my opinion, though, he could turn out to be much better than his No. 30 overall draft status would suggest.

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What I really like about Hart is his exceptional shooting ability. He was an offensive dynamo for the Wildcats, shooting an impressive 51 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from deep during his final year on campus. Hart averaged 18.7 points per game in the same season, helping him earn the attention of scouts from around the NBA.

Especially with the Lakers’ lack of depth in the backcourt, I’m guessing Hart will eventually earn minutes as a rookie. Although it won’t be easy getting a ton of action behind Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles will be forced to get him on the court when they see the type of impact he can have as a shooter.

Rob Pelinka made it clear his focus was on making upgrades in the shooting department this offseason. When he drafted Hart, he hit the nail on the head. He’s underrated right now, but it won’t last long once he starts earning minutes during the regular season.