Fansided

Report: Lonzo Ball didn’t wow Los Angeles Lakers in workout

By John Buhler

March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the first half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
March 17, 2017; Sacramento, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) during the first half in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Lonzo Ball may want to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but apparently he didn’t exactly wow the Lakers during his two-day meeting with the basketball club.

The Los Angeles Lakers have the No. 2 pick in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft. While the growing consensus is that the Lakers will take local star in former UCLA Bruins point guard Lonzo Ball at No. 2, that may not be a guaranteed thing any more.

According to Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, “Ball…didn’t blow the Lakers away or seal any deal in the time he spent with their officials on Tuesday and Wednesday.” Ding would add that the Lakers will visit with other top prospects like Washington’s Markelle Fultz, Kansas’ Josh Jackson and Kentucky’s De’Aaron Fox.

Is Ball in the dog house with the Lakers or something? No, that’s not really why he didn’t wow them during his two-day meeting. Think about it. Is a pass-first point guard whose best skill is his distribution ability going to show up in a one versus none workout? Nope, didn’t think so.

Unlike his outspoken father LaVar Ball, Lonzo is a tad more soft-spoken to say the least. This is probably by design as some of the other top prospects are a little more talkative. Fultz has a cool, calm and collected demeanor about him. Jackson seems like a high-octane, high-energy guy. Fox has a certain charismatic quality to him that will make him a darling in this draft.

So it’s not really a shot at Ball that he “didn’t blow the Lakers away”. It has more to do with the prospects at the top-end of this draft being so compelling. In a way, this just feels like a smokescreen put out there by the Lakers to temper their obvious infatuation with Ball.

Don’t expect Fultz to be there for the Lakers to take at No. 2 anyway. He’s probably going No. 1 to the Celtics. Jackson could be a great player, but is in the vein of more of what the Lakers already have on their young roster out on the wing.

Next: 10 Biggest NBA Draft Mistakes of All-Time

Do keep an eye on Fox though. He will command a room and could go as high as No. 2 in this draft, possibly to the Lakers. However if the Lakers really aren’t all that impressed with Ball, maybe he falls to the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3, the Phoenix Suns at No. 4 or even the Sacramento Kings at No. 5?

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