Lonzo Ball thinks the Los Angeles Lakers did a great job in the 2017 NBA Draft. However, it's not because they selected him with the no.2 overall pick but because they got Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart in the process.
After selecting Lonzo Ball with the second pick last year, the Lakers went on to acquire Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart in separate draft-day trades. The two late first-round picks proved to be valuable assets for the Purple and Gold and are now playing crucial roles in their quest for the NBA title.
Ball admitted he's happy to see the two develop into the players they are now and commended the Lakers for getting what he called as “the biggest steals of the draft.”
“I’m happy for them,” Ball told Bill Oram of The Athletic. “I’m happy we drafted them. Rob (Pelinka) and Magic did a great job of finding pretty much the two biggest steals of the draft in my opinion. Now it’s just my time to step up and do what I’m supposed to do.”
Ball is spot on with his opinion. While Kuzma has long been described as the steal of the 2017 draft after averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in his first season at Los Angeles, Hart has also shown significant improvement over the past one-and-half year.
Entering their Christmas Day game with the Golden State Warriors, Kuzma is averaging 18.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Meanwhile, Hart is putting up 8.9 points, 3.2 boards and 1.2 dimes per contest, though his biggest contribution is on the defensive end.
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