Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Reasons why drafting Josh Hart was the right move

With the 30th pick, the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Josh Hart. Here are three reasons why this was a smart pick.

Not many teams had Josh Hart on their radar coming into the 2017 NBA Draft. Most mock drafts had him going mid-late second round. However, the Los Angeles Lakers took him at the end of the first round. In the era of college one-and-done players, it’s almost unheard of for players to stay all four years in college then get drafted in today’s game.

Hart attended Villanova University for four seasons and left his mark on the program. He didn’t start for the team until his sophomore year. Yet, he was always a fan favorite in the Philadelphia area and led the Wildcats to a national championship in 2016 when they took down the mighty Tar Heels from North Carolina in the title game.

Staying in school for four seasons, Hart enters the NBA with a very high basketball IQ and knows the works just beginning. Here are just a few of the reactions from players and coaches on Hart being drafted:

Throughout his four seasons, he averaged 13.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 146 career games at Villanova. Hart received the Big East Player of the Year award as a senior during the 2016-17. During this season he led the Wildcats to a 32-4 record, before getting knocked out of the NCAA tournament by Wisconsin in the 2nd round.

Hart has great intangibles, plays smart, has experience, and turned himself into a playmaker who can score at will. The Lakers loved what they saw during his workout and made a great choice selecting him. Here are three reasons why selecting Hart was a great move.