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Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball ranked as 19th point guard in NBA by HoopsHype

By Kenneth Teape

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball up the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2017 Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Los Angeles won 115-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 15: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers passes the ball up the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2017 Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Los Angeles won 115-106. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball came in at No. 19 on HoopsHype’s point guard rankings.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a new general at every level of the organization. In the front office, the Lakers now have all-time great Magic Johnson as President of Basketball Operations and Rob Pelinka as general manager. On the court, there is a new leader as well.

Taking over the point guard duties this year for the Lakers is former UCLA point guard, Lonzo Ball. The Lakers selected Ball with the second pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and have high hopes for him.

Johnson has big expectations for Ball, calling him the new face of the franchise. That is some high expectations from a rookie, but Ball has had some big expectations on him for a while now.

Ball was a top prospect coming out of high school. He helped turn around a UCLA program that won only 15 games during the 2015-16 season. In his lone season at UCLA, they won 31 games and appeared in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Expectations were high during his time there and will continue to be in part because of his father.

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LaVar Ball has made quite a name for himself. He has been in the news multiple times for some controversial and outlandish comments. It has put a target not only his back but Lonzo’s as well.

The Lakers are hoping that Ball can live up to the hype and help turn the franchise around. It is tough to temper expectations for a pick as high as Ball and with how well he has performed already.

After a brutal debut in the Las Vegas Summer League, Ball bounced back in a big way. He was eventually named MVP as he dominated after that first game. Ball averaged 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. That has only increased the excitement for the regular season.

It is unlikely that Ball comes close to getting a triple-double every game he plays as he did in the Summer League. However, he is expected to be rather good. HoopsHype has only added fuel to the fire, as they ranked him as the 19th point guard in the NBA.

That is quite a lofty ranking for someone who has yet to play a minute during a game that actually counts in the NBA. Here is what HoopsHype had to say about the ranking.

"Ball earned the Summer League MVP in Las Vegas with 16.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game, and while summer league success hasn’t historically been all that predictive of NBA success, it’s better to play fantastic than not. One notable part of Ball’s shooting is that he only made 67.3 percent of his free throw attempts at UCLA while shooting 41.2 percent on three-pointers. For NBA three-point success, studies have shown that free-throw percentage is actually the better indicator in projecting NBA shooting.The Lakers have the chance to play around with some interesting lineups to take advantage of Ball’s transition game with Brandon Ingram at power forward, and the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a fantastic defender who can guard the tougher backcourt matchup every night."

One spot ahead of Ball is someone he will be compared to for his whole career in Markelle Fultz. Fultz was the No. 1 selection by the Philadelphia 76ers in this year’s draft. He and Ball will be linked forever as they were No. 1 and No. 2 in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Fellow 2017 NBA Draft class member, Dennis Smith, who was selected ninth overall by the Dallas Mavericks, is also on the list. He landed at No. 22. One player the Lakers targeted in free agency, George Hill, is ranked 15th.

Next: 3 Goals For Lonzo Ball's Rookie Season

While some people may be disappointed about Ball’s ranking, it seems like a fair one. He is near the middle despite not yet playing in an NBA game. Ball should rise up those point guard rankings in no time if he plays nearly as well as he did in the Las Vegas Summer League and helps turn the Lakers around.

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