7th pick: Lonzo Ball
Leaving the bright lights for New Orleans put Lonzo Ball under slightly less pressure, though the arrival of Zion Williamson guaranteed national television cameras will often be at Pelicans games.
Ball improved as a shooter this season, taking and draining far more threes. He’s still poor at the line, at under 60%, but it’s a step in the right direction after his crippling struggles in his first two seasons. It’s contributed to a lack of aggression, though, and remains Ball’s greatest weakness.
As a playmaker, Ball has quickly developed chemistry with Williamson and slotted into Alvin Gentry’s offence. He was the second point guard of the class in 2017, and he’s in the same spot for our redraft.
