NBA Mock Draft 2017, Week 13: Malik Monk to Sacramento
By Chris Stone
Learn more about Lonzo Ball at The Step Back."
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Lonzo Ball
PG, UCLA
On the other side of the second best point guard race is UCLA’s Lonzo Ball. That doesn’t discredit Ball any. He’s still a great prospect with a chance to make a massive impact on an NBA team. Ball’s court vision is the best of anyone in the draft and it will immediately be in the top tier of NBA players. He throws excellent outlet passes, whips balls to cutters in the halfcourt and even uses volleyball-like swats to get the rock to teammates. At a 9.0 assists per 40 minutes, Ball leads the 2017 class and would rank second among point guards drafted in the first round since 2010.
Ball’s fit in Philadelphia would be excellent as he and Ben Simmons could split primary ballhandling duties. That might sound odd given all of the praise the UCLA guard has received for his work on the ball, but his work away from the ball is equally impressive. For starters, he is a fantastic cutter who does a great job of reading defenses and can play above the rim when catching lobs. His 3-point shooting also helps bend defenses as he can’t be left alone on the perimeter. His deep range only magnifies the spacing effect as defenders how to extend beyond the 3-point line. Add in the fact that Ball is smart enough to whip quick passes shortly after catching them and it’s easy to see how he could be effective with Simmons on the floor.