Los Angeles Lakers: 5 takeaways from the 2017-18 NBA season
5. 2017 draft class immediately changed the culture
There was plenty of praise for the Los Angeles Lakers after selecting Lonzo Ball (No. 2), Kyle Kuzma (No. 27) and Josh Hart (No. 30) with their three first round picks. They grabbed their new floor leader in Lonzo and added a pair of experienced players that figured to be solid rotational players.
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Fast forward to the end of the season and the Lakers may have hit one of the most impressive first round draft hauls in a long time. Lonzo is everything we thought in terms of offense and controlling the tempo, but his defense, both on and off the ball, were better than advertised. His shooting percentages dipped toward record lows and still have much more to improve, but he looked more comfortable with his form as the season progressed.
Hart is similar to Lonzo, with his strong defense and know-how to make the right play on offense. But, as I’ve recently profiled, Hart can do more than spot up and make the right pass. He’s a one-man fast break that can get downhill and finish on anybody, and closed the season with 20 points in three of the final four games.
The real prize in this draft, though, was Kuzma at No. 27. His hype train started in NBA Summer League and hasn’t slowed down all season. He’s the ideal 4 in the NBA these days and gives the Lakers a legit go-to scorer that can hold his own on the defensive end.
These three are a close-knit trio (Kuz and Lonzo constantly clowning each other) that play hoops in a way that keeps everybody engaged. They’re selfless, enjoy playing with one another and simply want to win. Finding three rookies in the same draft that set the foundation for the next brand of basketball is a massive victory for the Lakers this season.