27. Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
As special as Lonzo is, there’s still a ton of work left to do. He’s an average athlete who will get shredded on the defensive end, while his ability to control the pace of games didn’t translate as well in preseason play as it did in Summer League.
Once tasked with facing real NBA athletes, it’ll take some time for Ball to adjust to the faster pace and more physical nature of the game. He’ll still drop dimes in transition and add an extra kick to the Lakers’ offense, but they aren’t surrounding him with enough talent to make that leap anything extraordinary in year one.
Ball won’t score much either, with wonky shooting mechanics and not much to speak of in isolation. Los Angeles is committed to putting the ball in his hands and letting him go to work, though, so the bulk of their offensive possessions will come down to whether or not Lonzo is capable of making the plays that got him drafted No. 2.