Lakers Rumors: Team reportedly had a scout watch LiAngelo Ball in Lithuania
LaVar Ball is definitely going to be pleased to hear this piece of information.
With the Los Angeles Lakers 2017-18 season ending, Lakers rumors are about to pick up. The most recent Lakers rumors will make a certain someone very excited.
LaVar Ball’s dream is evidently getting closer to becoming a reality. The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly had a scout visit Lithuania to get a closer look at LaVar’s middle child.
Whether LiAngelo is seriously being considered by Los Angeles is unknown. However, this scoop shows that the Lakers are already looking ahead, which is encouraging. Their season may have ended not that long back, but the organization is clearly not taking a vacation.
SB Nation’s Christian Rivas was among the first to get the news out. The report regarding Lonzo Ball’s brother was originally leaked by Lithuanian journalist Donatas Urbonas. Via Urbonas, a Lakers’ scout was soaking in a game between Prienu Vytautas and BC Nevezis. The former team is the one LiAngelo currently represents.
This Thursday’s game was not a bad one for the 19-year-old Ball. According to Urbonas, LiAngelo did not miss from behind the arc.
Los Angeles Lakers scout was in the stands watching Nevezis-Vytautas game in Kedainiai. NBA Draft prospects LiAngelo Ball and Tadas Sedekerskis performed well. Gelo contributed to Vytautas W 96:79 with 12pts (3/3 threes) in 18 mins. Sedekerskis had season highs in pts 17 & EFF 23
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) April 12, 2018
Despite LiAngelo’s respectable performance, many are not convinced he is NBA ready.
The Complex’s Mike Destefano reminded fans that the middle member of the Ball clan declared for the draft last month. On the same day, he did so, he sunk an incredible 72 points. Before this even occurred, though, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was not persuaded LiAngelo would ever be in the NBA.
Ex-UCLA freshman LiAngelo Ball has no chance that he'll be drafted in June — and that was true before his shoplifting incident in China. "He's not on any of our scouting lists — even the extended lists," one GM told ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 4, 2017
Such words may sound like harsh ones. However, to know that LiAngelo was not viewed too highly prior to the shoplifting incident is not promising for the young man. Ergo, the fact that the teenager has had off the court issues like that certainly does not bolster his case.
For the sake of being equitable, the Lakers may have also been looking at Tadas Sedekerskis of Nevezis. Granted Sedekerskis’ team did not win, his solid performance that Urbonas mentions is noteworthy.
According to Rob Goldberg of Bleacher Report, LiAngelo has been Vytautas’ primary scorer. As of when Goldberg’s piece was published, LiAngelo was averaging 14.5 points a night. That mark is the highest on his squad.
Per Goldberg’s article, LiAngelo intends to work out with some NBA teams this summer. Thus, while the second Ball kid’s odds of getting drafted are low, one can never really know for sure.
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If the Lakers’ front office does not give LiAngelo a chance, LaVar previously shared his thoughts on what he would do. Via the New York Daily News’ Ari Gilberg, this is what the boisterous dad said earlier this year.
"“I want all my three boys to play for the Lakers,” LaVar told Urbonas in February. “But if that does not happen, I’m telling you the story what’s gonna happen first. If they don’t take Gelo this year, I bring back Gelo here (Prienai in Lithuania) to play with Melo for two years. Lonzo will be on his third year and I want to let every NBA team know, that Lonzo is not going to re-sign with the Lakers but will go to any team that will take all of my three boys. That’s my plan.”"
It makes logical sense that a father wants the very best for his children. At the same time, LaVar’s wants do not outweigh the needs of the Lakers. Whether the Lakers choose to give LiAngelo an opportunity will be their call.
As Rivas says later in his piece, L.A. has the No. 25 pick and the No. 44 pick this summer. All indications suggest that there are 44 players ahead of LiAngelo.
That being said, the scout that looked at LiAngelo may have done so out of curiosity. It could have also been executed to make LaVar a happy camper.
At best, it seems probable that L.A. would give the second Ball brother a shot once Summer League kicks off. That is, in all probability, the best-case scenario. It just seems nearly impossible LiAngelo will be selected in the 2018 NBA draft.
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Fortunately for LiAngelo, he does have his three-point shot going through the net. The modern NBA likes shooters, but the young man’s overall game carries holes in it. That in itself will pull many out of the LiAngelo sweepstakes.