Los Angeles Lakers: Complete 2017 offseason grades
Drafting Lonzo Ball
At the 2017 NBA Draft, LaVar Ball was displayed front-and-center. With every pick still undecided, Ball repeated the mantra that he has spoken over his son Lonzo since his birth: “My boy’s going to be a Los Angeles Laker.”
In an incredible twist of either fate or collusion, depending on how deep into the rabbit hole one goes, Lonzo Ball was drafted second overall to be the new face of his hometown Lakers. LaVar Ball became a prophet of gargantuan proportions.
A draft pick has to be evaluated in at least two ways. The first is the player’s fit on a team, and the second is his value compared to other players available at the time. For most players they are clearly selected for one reason or the other, and the perfect picks are those that hit both perfectly. The Philadephia 76ers and their selection of Markelle Fultz was one of these doubly perfect picks.
Lonzo Ball could be another perfect fit for the Lakers, or he could fail in both areas. One of the most polarizing players to enter the draft in years, time will tell whether the Lakers made the right choice. On the court, Lonzo brings a truly special passing ability, and his teammates cannot help but change to adopt his culture of ball movement and unselfish celebration. He also brings a questionable handle and poor defensive tools to a team with no other elite ball-handlers or lockdown defenders.
The value question is more difficult to answer. Many draft boards had Ball at or near the top; others dropped him down and instead elevated Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson and Dennis Smith Jr. Both Ball and Smith lit up Las Vegas Summer League, and the race for the Rookie of the Year could be one of the best in years.
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Ball and his bigger-than-life father fit right into the Los Angeles scene, and he seems to have the right temperament and maturity level to handle both his family and the spotlight. Dreamers can envision Ball diming up LeBron James and Paul George during countless fast break opportunities in 2018 and beyond.
Lakers fans will need to inject a little patience into their expectations for Ball. It’s possible defenders learn to crowd his shot and force him to drive, which he has struggled to do at prior stops. They could also play him off the court by running him through countless pick-and-rolls. Smith could win Rookie of the Year and Jayson Tatum could win a title with the Boston Celtics while Ball is still learning defensive fundamentals.
But these new-look Lakers needed a bold face of the franchise, and Lonzo Ball is exactly that. The Lakers will have an offensive identity crafted by Luke Walton, green-lit by Magic Johnson, and driven by Ball. They will be fun to watch, even if they are not yet winning games. This was the right marriage of player and team.
Grade: A-