By Jack Fritz, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Tell me this isn't starting to feel like the Jahlil Okafor draft all over again.
At his workout for the Lakers last week, the team was reportedly "not impressed" with Ball's level of conditioning according to Mark Medina of the L.A Daily News.
Here's what Medina heard:
Many qualities have made the Lakers impressed with Ball, including his leadership potential, passing and scoring. They are not impressed, however, with his level of conditioning.
Some observers of Ball’s workout last Wednesday thought he came in out of shape. Ball acknowledged that the “drills get you tired, so you got to stay focused.”
Eek, not great.
The reason why this is feeling like the Okafor 2.0 is because when the draft lottery was over, it was viewed as a virtual lock that he was going to go second overall to the Lakers. As the draft process wore on, the Lakers leaked more and more about how they weren't sold on him and in fact were higher on D'Angelo Russell than him. At the time we viewed that as silly, but now, it feels like lightening may be striking twice; except this time, the Sixers might benefit from the Lakers' decision.
What makes this different than the Okafor situation?
Well, Okafor didn't have Lavar Ball behind him willing it to happen. You just have to take that into affect.
With under two weeks until the draft it's hard to get a read on what the Lakers will do.
Is this all smoke to get a team to trade up? After all, they did have Dennis Smith Jr. in for a workout in the event that they would trade down. According to those who were there, Smith was the best player on the court and even posted a 48-inch vertical, which is insane for a guy his size.
I don't know if it's smoke, but it does feel like there has been a lot of bad press surrounding Ball and the Lakers.
If they were sold on him being the pick at No. 2, then why would people associated with the team tell the people that cover the team that he showed up out of shape to the workout? That would seem to set the fanbase up to be upset if Ball does indeed end up being the pick for the Lakers, which doesn't make sense.
Add Ball not showing up in shape to their workout to the recent negative PR hits against him in the pre-draft process.
Maybe he really will be available with the Sixers pick after all.
