1) The second pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball first became a household name in the hoops world during a stellar freshman season at UCLA, where he averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.8 steals for the Bruins. He was also efficient offensively in college, shooting 55.1 percent from the field – excellent for any position, but particularly for a guard – along with 41.2 percent on three-pointers.
2) Over his two NBA seasons, he’s been regarded as one of the better defensive backcourt players in the league. He will likely pair frequently with Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, a fellow UCLA product who has extensive credentials at that end of the floor (NBA All-Defensive first team in ’17-18, followed by All-Defensive second team in ’18-19).