When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted Lonzo Ball with the No. overall 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, there were few complaints about the pick because of the team’s need for a point guard at the time and because of Ball’s elite court vision.
Since then, though, the team’s former president of basketball operations, Magic Johnson, has been subject to criticism because of how well players drafted after Ball have performed, including, but not limited to, Jayson Tatum, De’Aaron Fox and Donovan Mitchell. There have been rumors that Johnson wasn’t too thrilled about the pick he made, either, but that hasn’t stopped him from defending his decision to draft Ball.
During a recent appearance on ESPN’s “First Take”, Stephen A. Smith gave Johnson a hard time about drafting Ball, which led to this exchange:
MJ: “The Pelicans will be one of the most entertaining teams in all of basketball because now you put Jrue Holiday with Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram. I mean, those guys are going to be running and gunning, and they’ve got a good coach.
SAS: “Are you sure that’s not just emotion there because you drafted Lonzo Ball? You drafted Lonzo Ball, Magic Johnson!”
MJ: “Yes I did, and I’m standing right here. I’m not moving. Yes, I did that.”
It’s probably too early to call Ball a bust, especially when you consider he’s been one of the most impactful players in his draft class in spite of his poor shooting percentages, but each year that Ball doesn’t look like a rising star makes Johnson look like a worse basketball executive.
Hopefully, for both of their sakes, Ball has a breakout junior season in New Orleans.
