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Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball’s conditioning not where it needs to be

By Kenneth Teape

Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) signals in the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) signals in the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Lonzo Ball didn’t wow in his workout, and it could have been because his conditioning was not up to par.

Los Angeles Lakers rumors have been running rampant in recent weeks. The Lakers roster could begin an overhaul beginning this offseason. There are trade rumors involving players currently on the team, such as Jordan Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell. There are also questions surrounding Nick Young, who has a player option.

The first opportunity the Lakers will have to change the roster this offseason will be the 2017 NBA Draft. The Lakers own two draft picks right now; No. 2 and No. 28 overall. There are a number of different ways the Lakers can use those selections.

The Lakers could use the picks as trade assets. There are a few veterans, such as Paul George, they could look to acquire this offseason to help put them in a better position for next offseason. They could package the selections to shuffle around the 2017 NBA Draft order. Or, the Lakers could sit pat and use the selections to upgrade their own roster with more younger players.

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One of the players that could interest the Lakers with the second overall pick is UCLA point guard, Lonzo Ball. There have been tons of reports involving Ball and the Lakers. In the simplest terms, Ball and the Lakers are an excellent pair.

He is a local product and brings a lot on the court for a team to like. He possesses strong leadership qualities and could lead the Lakers offense.

But, there are also some red flags. Lonzo’s father, LaVar, is probably chief among them. There are also concerns that he will not reach star potential, which you are hoping to land with a second overall pick.

That is what made Ball’s work out such a big deal. There are always smokescreens at this time of year. Teams will release reports that may not be entirely accurate to try and have the draft board fall in their way. But, when there is smoke, there is fire.

In this case, there may be something to all of the reports. Ball’s workout reportedly didn’t wow the Lakers. He was unable to seal the deal in his workout to make the case to be the second overall pick. We now have some insight as to why Ball’s workout may not have gone well.

Related Story: Full First Round 2017 NBA Mock Draft

According to Mark Medina of the Orange County Register, Ball did not impress with his conditioning. There are some observers that believed Ball came to the workout out of shape, which is never a good thing to hear. Ball did admit that the drills get you tired, but he just had to stay focused through it.

The Lakers are smart enough to know that you cannot base a prospect’s performance off one workout. But Ball’s workout limited some of his strongest qualities, such as his passing because it was a solo workout. That was probably part of his pre-draft plan, but it could come back to haunt him.

Next: 3 Reasons For Lakers To Pass On Lonzo Ball

With other top prospects getting ready to work out for the Lakers, Ball’s standing could really take a hit. Josh Jackson and De’Aaron Fox are two prospects to keep an eye on to potentially overtake Ball. Ball needed to blow away the Lakers, and it sounds like he came up short in doing that.

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