Los Angeles Lakers great Jerry West shared his opinion on the Lonzo Ball, situation LaVar Ball during the Dan Patrick Show last week.
The Los Angeles Lakers could really shake up the top of the 2017 NBA Draft. Since landing the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft on lottery night, almost everyone has said UCLA point guard, Lonzo Ball, would be the pick. Markelle Fultz is expected to go No. 1 overall, meaning Ball will remain near his family for his professional career just as he did in college.
This weekend, it was reported that the Lakers may be looking elsewhere in the NBA Draft. Had the draft been this past weekend, it was reported that the Lakers would not be selecting Ball with their pick.
The reason for the change in heart? According to the source of Jordan Schultz, the Lakers are not convinced that Ball is a star and they remain skeptical of his father, LaVar Ball.
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The part about becoming a star could start to change this week. The Lakers are set to workout Ball on June 7th. In addition to the workout, he is expected to meet with the coaching staff and front office personnel as well. Lonzo has an excellent chance to improve his standing with a strong workout. Convincing the Lakers, or any team for that matter, that his father will not be a problem is a whole different ordeal.
LaVar has become a headliner in recent months. He has supreme confidence in his son and has not been shy about his eagerness for Lonzo to play for the Lakers. There are many people that are concerned about how they will handle LaVar if Lonzo plays for them. Another person to offer his opinion is Jerry West.
The former Lakers great and logo for the league spoke on the Dan Patrick Show last week. West believes that unnecessary distractions are being caused for Lonzo and does not like talking about LaVar; he would rather the conversation focus on Lonzo and his play on the court.
"“Frankly, I don’t even like to talk about his dad. I’d rather talk about the kid,” West told Patrick. “His dad, to me … I wouldn’t want a father like that, to be honest with you. Because I think he puts added pressure on his kid. You know he loves his kid. You know that. But it should be about his kids, not about him.”"
Those are some strong words, and it is likely that West is not alone in feeling that way. Based on skill alone, there were some teams that already had Ball lower on their draft boards. Having his father constantly pop up in headlines will not help his cause.
This will be something to keep an eye on as the draft process continues. Where Ball will land was once an afterthought with the Lakers landing the second overall pick. Now, there seems to be a chance they look elsewhere in the draft.
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For what it is worth, Lakers president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, said that LaVar’s presence will have no impact on the team’s draft strategy. We will just have to wait and see. There are still multiple weeks until the NBA Draft, as plenty of things can change between now and June 22nd.