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Lonzo Ball would rather be with the Lakers than go No. 1 in NBA Draft

By Ynal Al-Ouri

Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) dribbles the ball in front of Kent State Golden Flashes guard Jaylin Walker (23) in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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UCLA star Lonzo Ball has expressed his desire to be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, not concerned with going number one overall.

Coming off a strong season in his lone year at UCLA, point guard Lonzo Ball has cemented himself as a potential top-three draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Some scouts say he could go No. 1 overall, but Ball is apparently not concerned with that. Ball’s main priority seems to be getting drafted by the Lakers so he is able to stay close to home and have his family be able to come to their home games.

Ball appeared on ESPN’s SportsNation and was asked if he would rather be the first pick, or on the Lakers. His response was simply, “I’m going to go with Lakers.”

Ball was born and raised in Chino Hills, California, which is roughly an hour away from Los Angeles. Although Ball does not really have a choice where he is ultimately drafted and has to play his first few seasons in the NBA, it certainly makes sense for him to want to be able to play so close to home. Ball showcased a great overall game in college in which he averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game and led the UCLA Bruins to a Sweet 16 birth in the NCAA Tournament. NBA scouts have been drooling over his size (6-foot-6) and playmaking ability at the point guard position.

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There is still a lot of time until the 2017 NBA Draft that will be held in June this summer, but the hype on Lonzo Ball is only going to increase. Whichever team Ball gets selected to play for, he is expected to be a major contributor right from the get go in his first NBA season.

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