Prospects the Philadelphia 76ers Should Watch for in the 2017 Draft Class

PG Lonzo Ball, UCLA, FR

Lonzo Ball (pictured right) is another point guard with excellent physical attributes that could fall somewhere within the same range as the aforementioned Fox. Standing at 6’4” with a 6’7” wingspan, he has separated himself from the proverbial pack as one of the best passers in the draft and another elite defensive prospect.

On the offensive side of the ball, Lonzo is a master in terms of running the offense at a myriad of different paces. He’s thrives in transition with excellent instincts and a knack for nailing long outlet passes, while his ability to cut through the defense in the halfcourt and penetrate the lane is without question. Ball averaged 8.7 assists per 40 minutes/paced adjusted at adidas Nations, showcasing excellent vision when controlling the basketball and one of the more refined facilitation games in the 2017 class. He’s a mediocre athlete and doesn’t explode off the dribble, but he knows how to find his spots and execute an offense. With that said, Ball’s jump shot is unorthodox in just about every manner in terms of release point, as he shoots from the left side of his body, and he will definitely need to focus on improving that aspect of his game to fully exploit his talents on a team like Philly playing off of Ben Simmons.

Defensively, Ball overcomes his somewhat underwhelming athletic aptness with a nose for the ball and instincts that are really only matched by Fox on the perimeter in the upcoming class. He works his way into passing lanes with ease and is notably effective at poking the ball loose and forcing turnovers through pesky play. He’s a committed two-way player who puts in maximum effort on both sides of the ball, and is highly reminiscent of someone you could picture playing on a Brett Brown team.

"“Ball is one of the more unique talents in the 2016 class. His size, court vision, basketball instincts, rebounding ability and defensive playmaking will make him an eventual, legitimate triple double threat in the Pac-12. It will be interesting to see how Ball’s jump shot, arguably his biggest weakness, develops under former sharpshooter and current UCLA head coach Steve Alford. Overall, Ball has room to improve his body, jumper, and shot selection, but he’ll serve as a do-it-all lead guard for the Bruins, and has a chance to continue that versatility at the NBA level down the road if he continues to develop.” -Mike Schmitz, DraftExpress"

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