Fansided

2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 21: Malik Monk to the Sixers

By Chris Stone

Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) brings the ball up court against the Northern Kentucky Norse during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Malik Monk (5) brings the ball up court against the Northern Kentucky Norse during the second half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 30
Next
Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket against Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) in the first half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket against Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) in the first half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
Learn more about Lonzo Ball at The Step Back.

" >
2

Lonzo Ball

PG, UCLA

For the second time this season, Lonzo Ball struggled to protect the ball against De’Aaron Fox and the Kentucky Wildcats. In UCLA’s Sweet Sixteen matchup, Ball turned it over four times despite dishing out eight assists. He also struggled to score against the Wildcats’ athletic defense, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-6 from behind the 3-point arc. Ball clearly has some adjustments to make before he’ll be ready to make an impact in the NBA.

That said, Ball is a terrific passer with a tremendous basketball IQ. He led the country with 7.6 assists per game this season and posted a 31.4 percent assist rate. He finds shooters in their pocket and throws creative passes to get his teammates open looks. It’s a skill that few 19-year olds have. Ball can also shoot it well from deep despite his performance against the Wildcats. He shot 41.2 percent from deep this season over 192 attempts. There will be a bit of hesitancy regarding how well his awkward shooting motion will translate, but he had little problem with it in college.

Ball will also need to figure out how to defend at an NBA level. UCLA’s defense was notoriously bad this season as it struggled to contain penetration. Ball can use his basketball IQ to create steals away from the ball, but he needs to work on locking up the point of attack.

Learn more about Lonzo Ball at The Step Back.