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Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball, Jarrett Allen would receive an A draft grade

By Kenneth Teape

Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 4, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Jarrett Allen (31) drives against Oklahoma State Cowboys forward Leyton Hammonds (23) during the first half at the Frank Erwin Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Los Angeles Lakers would receive an A grade in the 2017 NBA Draft if they select UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball and Texas center Jarrett Allen.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been very active leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft. They have been hosting numerous prospects for workouts, some even visiting multiple times. The Lakers have also been involved in numerous trade rumors.

Earlier in the month, there were reports about the Lakers potentially shopping Jordan Clarkson with a draft day trade in mind. D’Angelo Russell has heard his name mentioned in trade rumors as well.

Recently, it was reported that president of basketball operations Magic Johnson was so enamored with Markelle Fultz that he wanted to trade up to the No. 1 spot in the draft to land him.

Whether the Lakers make a trade or not, the 2017 NBA Draft will be a busy one for them. In addition to the second pick, the Lakers also own the No. 28 overall pick. They will have an opportunity to push their rebuild even further by selecting elite prospects or making a trade package to land a veteran, such as Paul George.

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If the Lakers end up keeping the picks, they will have a good chance at landing a star. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, there are two tier one prospects in this draft; Fultz and UCLA’s point guard Lonzo Ball.

To put into perspective, there have been only eight prospects since 2009, when Ford began doing tiers, to land in tier one; Blake Griffin, John Wall, Anthony Davis, Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, Jabari Parker, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Ben Simmons. Outside of Simmons, who has yet to appear in an NBA game, the others have lived up to the billing when on the court.

The Lakers have a chance to land one of those top prospects. In ESPN’s Jeff Goodman’s Grade A mock draft, the Lakers do just that.

In Goodman’s mock draft he doesn’t try and predict where players will go. Instead, he picks based on being the decision maker for each franchise, selecting the players that would give each team a grade of A.

For the Lakers, the first pick they make to get to an A grade is selecting Ball. Here is what Goodman had to say about the second overall pick.

"Ball is a special talent and simply makes everyone around him better. Not only does he possess superior court vision, he is also unselfish and delivers the ball with precision that allows his teammates to be as efficient as possible.Ball would fit well with D’Angelo Russell, who grew up playing off the ball, and would also make things easier for the Lakers’ young core, which includes Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle. Ball is a pure point guard whom Magic Johnson can build around."

Ball has one of the highest ceilings in this year’s draft class. He has the rare star potential that not every prospect possesses. His pure point guard skills would be welcomed in Los Angeles, where Russell and Clarkson have looked more like combo-guards.

Having someone lead the show is what the Lakers need. Having a true point guard would help take the roster to the next level. There are a lot of players that would thrive in the open court, and Ball would give them a maestro to lead the show.

With the 28th pick in Goodman’s mock, the Lakers select Texas center, Jarrett Allen. If this comes to fruition, the Lakers would be getting quite a steal as Allen has been mocked as high as the mid-teens.

Here is what Goodman said about Allen landing with the Lakers.

"Allen isn’t likely to drop this far on June 22, but there are concerns about his love of the game.However, he is long and athletic and can run the court well. He’s an upside guy, and the Lakers certainly need help in the middle."

There is a lot that teams like in Allen. He has excellent size and mobility would fit in well with the rest of the players on the Lakers roster. Allen already excels as a roller in pick-and-roll situations and is a very strong rebounder and rim protector.

Allen does have some work to do offensively as he lacks the size currently to consistently bang inside. Adding strength and toughness will be imperative to finding success in the NBA. He has the skills to succeed, he just has to continue working.

Allen would be an excellent selection for the Lakers. His athleticism is very appealing and his ability to play in the open court would be excellent on the second unit.

Next: Full First Round 2017 NBA Mock Draft

If the Lakers are able to land Ball and Allen in this year’s draft, it would certainly result in an A grade. Ball is a top prospect in this year’s draft and Allen would be a steal at No. 28.

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