If it wasn't apparent already, 19-year-old guard Lonzo Ball really hopes the Los Angeles Lakers draft him second overall, and is willing to do or say whatever it takes to make his dream come to fruition.
The UCLA product took part in a solo pre-draft workout Wednesday afternoon. With a swarm of local media members surrounding him, Ball used the opportunity to further endorse himself and explain why he's an ideal fit for the Lakers.
"They have a lot of good players. I just think they need a leader at point guard. I feel I can bring that to the team," Ball said. "Just bringing a winning attitude. Everybody can band together, and get this done together.
"They're young. I'm young. I see they like to run. I like to run. So I feel we can complement each other very well."
The 26-56 Lakers trotted out D'Angelo Russell - a more natural scoring guard - at the point for the majority of the 2016-17 campaign, with Lou Williams, Jordan Clarkson, and Jose Calderon also seeing time running the offense and bringing the ball up the floor.
Ball is touted as being perhaps the best pure playmaker in this year's class, with excellent court vision and star intangibles that would make him fit in seamlessly in an environment like Los Angeles. He's gone on the record in the past as saying the Lakers would be his ideal destination, which he reiterated Wednesday.
"Of course," he said when asked if L.A. is where he wants to compete. "I want to stay home."
Ball added that he's been given no assurances that the Lakers will in fact use their No. 2 pick on him. It's been reported that there are "genuine disagreements" regarding how that selection should ultimately be utilized, although that could merely be a smokescreen to throw other teams off ahead of the draft later this month.
