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NBA Draft 2017: 5 targets for the Los Angeles Lakers

By Luke Norris

Jan 20, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A view of the floor before the game against the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; A view of the floor before the game against the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) drives to the basket past Kentucky Wildcats guard De’Aaron Fox (0) in the second half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Lonzo Ball, PG, UCLA

Lonzo Ball can…well, ball. With a need for a true point guard, the SoCal native is just that. He’s a pass-first guard and at 6-foot-6, his size is going to be a very big advantage in seeing the entire floor. With Magic Johnson as the Lakers’ team president, don’t you think he’ll want to draft a big point guard? It all just makes so much sense.

Despite the way his father acts, Lonzo is widely regarded as a pretty relaxed guy and would bring a lot of tools to the Lakers. He has fantastic vision and as I mentioned, his size is only going to help him in that regard. His unselfishness is a tremendous asset and would help a team whose point guards had the fifth-fewest assists (9.7) and the sixth-most turnovers (4.0) in the NBA this past season. Ball led the NCAA in assists as a freshman and while he has the ability to be flashy, he often isn’t and just runs the offense efficiently.

Ball has a much better jumper than De’Aaron Fox and that may be the deciding factor for the Lakers. It’s certainly not the prettiest thing in the world, and Ball has no problem admitting that himself, but it gets the job done. Lonzo shot over 41 percent from the 3-point line in his lone season at UCLA and moves quite well off the ball, which would only open up the lane for Brandon Ingram and Jordan Clarkson. With another outside threat, something the Lakers are very thin on, L.A. could become a very dangerous team over the next few years as these guys develop.

Ball isn’t the quickest defender and he would have some problems staying with some of the quicker point guards in the league and that’s definitely something that will have to improve but his potential to be a great player is through the roof and I do expect to see him in purple and gold this fall.

Next: 10 biggest NBA Draft mistakes in history

And there you have it. Who would you like to see the Los Angeles Lakers draft? Feel free to join in the conversation in the comments section below and be sure to check back in with FanSided each and every day as we break down targets for every team in the NBA leading up to the draft on Thursday, June 22.

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