Boston Celtics draft prospects: Making a case for Lonzo Ball at No. 1

Markelle Fultz is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, but Lonzo Ball is just as good and a better fit for the Boston Celtics.

Isaiah Thomas may or may not be in the Boston Celtic’s future plans, although most of us hope he is. That being said, Thomas is similar to Fultz not because of they’re height but scoring ability. Both players are scorers first who can play off the ball, essentially not true point guards, but talented enough to play the position.

Lonzo Ball, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Despite being 6’6″, Ball is a pure point guard. One of the best passers we’ve seen come out of college in a long time, so why not link him up with great scorer Isaiah Thomas. Ball makes everyone around him better not only because of his passing but the way he spreads the court open. Here is a scouting video from Draft Express.

Ball makes everyone around him better not only because of his passing but because his passes tend to find the most wide open player. His passing is a game changer in transition as well, not only after the offense has set. Very fast for someone who is 6’6″ and lengthy, but will need to bulk up a bit for the pros. Here is what Direct of Scouting at Draft Express, Mike Schmitz, had to say about Ball.

"At 6′ 4, 215 pounds, Kidd was a physical, quick, hard-playing athlete (especially relative to the level of athlete in 1993) who lived at the free throw line, played above the rim in transition, loved to throw his weight around on both ends, and made a living as a menace in the passing lanes to the tune of an outrageous 4.8 steals per 40 minutes."

He’s been called Jason Kidd 2.0. Is Lonzo Ball really the next Jason Kidd?

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Short answer, no. Although the comparisons are spot on, Lonzo Ball is trying to be his own player. His stats are similar to Kidd’s year at CAL, but Lonzo is much taller and can score much better.

Here is Draft Express breaking down the similarities between Ball and Kidd’s transition play

Ball has been criticized for his unorthodox shooting form, but he shot 55% from the field and 41% from downtown. So criticize away but until Ball starts shooting poorly he will most likely keep his shooting form the way it is. That may cause some strife as GM’s may want him to fix his shot early on, but that discussion would vary from GM to GM.

Ball will not workout with the Celtics though, as he’s refused to do so. His father Lavar doesn’t think he’s a fit in Boston.

Next: Celtics Round 2 targets

I could not see Boston Celtic’s GM Danny Ainge, nor head coach Brad Stevens forcing Ball to change his form as long as it’s working. Lonzo Ball seems to fit with Boston better at the moment, but still, expect Markelle Fultz to be in that beautiful green jersey this fall.

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