In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers had a fantastic draft. However, it could have been a bit better.
The 2017 NBA Draft has turned out to be a pretty good one so far in about 3 seasons, as we have already seen multiple players make the All-Star team. For the Los Angeles Lakers, this turned out to be a great draft, as they selected Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart in the first round.
Having 3 first-round picks is pretty rare in the NBA, and the Lakers did a good job of making the most of the picks. So far, all three have had strong careers, with Kyle Kuzma arguably being the biggest value of the three.
Ball was taken with the 2nd overall pick and certainly had the most hype surrounding him coming into the draft. With an outspoken father, Ball was being touted by his dad as better than players like Stephen Curry. While Ball has been alright in the NBA so far, he hasn’t been anywhere near the level of Curry.
Furthermore, while Ball is playing well, there are other players the Lakers could have taken who would have been better picks as of now. In his career, Ball has dealt with a lot of injuries in his first two seasons, especially with the Lakers. So far with the Pelicans, Ball has been healthier, and in his third season is finding his groove.
Even though Ball wasn’t a bad pick by the Lakers, here are three players that they should have taken over him.