With training camp just around the corner, NBA players have begun receiving their rating for the new upcoming video game NBA 2K18.
Los Angeles Lakers rookies Lonzo Ball and Kyle Kuzma recently received their rating, as Ball was given an 80, which is the highest rating for a rookie since John Wall. After his impressive Summer League performance Kuzma was given a rating of 72.
In addition to Ball and Kuzma the Lakers drafted a third rookie in the first round, selecting Josh Hart out of Villanova with the 30th pick.
Despite only playing two Summer League games due to an ankle injury, Hart recently received a very respectable NBA 2K rating for a rookie, coming in at a 70, as he announced on his personal Twitter account:
Only up from here… @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/icZGCoSjeE
— Josh Hart (@joshhart) August 17, 2017
As Hart said in the tweet, it can only go up from there as he prepares for his rookie season. Hart played four seasons at Villanova, winning an NCAA National Championship in 2016 so he has proven that he can play on the biggest of stages.
This past season Hart averaged 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists, earning Big East Player of the Year honors. Hart is known for his leadership and defensive toughness, which the Lakers have lacked in recent years.
Playing time may be tough to come by for the rookie though as the Lakers signed shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to a one-year, $18 million contract this offseason.
Caldwell-Pope will likely be the team’s starter, and Jordan Clarkson will log a lot of the team’s shooting guard minutes off the bench as the team’s sixth man.
Hart recently stopped by Los Angeles Rams training camp where he discussed the challenges of being a rookie in the NBA, although he said he is looking forward to the upcoming season.