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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 players to select other than Lonzo Ball

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) looks to pass the ball against UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) in the second half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De'Aaron Fox (0) looks to pass the ball against UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) in the second half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers: 5 players to select other than Lonzo Ball
Feb 4, 2017; Gainesville, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard De’Aaron Fox (0) works out prior to the game against the Florida Gators at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Kentucky Point Guard, De’Aaron Fox

The Lakers have two good guards with upside already on the roster in D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson. Despite that, almost every mock draft has the Lakers going with Lonzo Ball. With the latest news that they aren’t as high on him as people think, there has to be someone they like more. That person could very well be Kentucky point guard, De’Aaron Fox.

There are some reports floating around that teams already have Fox ranked higher on their draft boards than Ball. The off-court stuff is a big reason why; many teams do not want to deal with Lonzo’s father, LaVar Ball. On the court, the biggest edge that Fox has is on the defensive end of the court.

Fox is a great defender despite his slight frame. He is athletic enough to keep up with anyone and has long arms; he stands 6-feet-3 inches tall but has a 6-feet-7 inch wingspan. On the ball, Fox is already a great defender and his length makes him a problem in the passing lanes.

Fox also uses that athleticism to his advantage on offense. He is a blur with the ball in his hands as he has elite speed. He can get to the basket against even the best defenders as very few people can keep up with him. The only thing that is holding him back right now on offense is his jump shot.

His jump shot is the only real flaw that Fox has in his game. Cutting back on his turnovers would be good as well, but the jump shot is what teams will focus on. He showed improvement as the season went on, so teams will want to see if that improvement will continue or not.

Next: Full First Round 2017 NBA Mock Draft

The workouts will be important for Fox. If he can show that his jumper is improved, he will undoubtedly move up team’s draft boards. If the Lakers are serious about not selecting Ball, Fox is a logical choice with the second pick to give Los Angeles an excellent young trio of guards to build around.

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