The Los Angeles Lakers have assembled a motley crew of veterans and youngsters going into the 2017-18 season. Of the youngsters, Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Kyle Kuzma get the most publicity and media coverage. However, head coach Luke Walton raved about one of the lesser-known young guns when interviewed by Ryan Ward of ClutchPoints — Josh Hart.
Luke Walton on Josh Hart: "What he does so well are the little things. The little things that help teams win that a lot of times don't go down on stat sheets. Those are the things that in my opinion make Josh special." #Lakers
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) October 9, 2018
Hart might not be on the level of his other three teammates quite yet, but Walton was absolutely correct in his assessment of the guard.
Hart was taken as the last pick in the first round and has already exceeded expectations. The Villanova guard averaged 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game last season while shooting 47 percent from the field. While these aren't exactly filling up the box score, Walton's point is that Hart doesn't need to put up huge numbers to help the Lakers win.
Now that LeBron is a Laker, he will take on a large scoring and ball handling load. Ingram has also taken steps to improve his offensive game.
The Lakers need Hart to do exactly what he has been doing — playing hard-nosed defense, providing energy off the bench, hustling for every loose ball, and knocking down open threes when LeBron, Ingram, or Ball draw multiple defenders.
As long as he continues to play this role, the future is bright for the sophomore. It is not ridiculous to think that he could be a large part of the Lakers not just this season, but for seasons to come as well.
Follow Us
Subscribe