Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball Hopes To Learn From Magic Johnson
If the Los Angeles Lakers land Lonzo Ball, he is looking forward to learning from Magic Johnson.
The Los Angeles Lakers have a chance to land another building block in the 2017 NBA Draft. If the NBA Lottery is favorable to them and they land in the top three, they will keep their pick. If they fall out of the top three, the Lakers will have to send their pick to the Philadelphia 76ers.
One player who will most likely go within those top three picks is UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball. Ball had an outstanding freshman season with the Bruins, averaging 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game.
He helped lead the Bruins to a 31-5 record during the 2016-17 season after going 15-17 in 2015-16.
At 6-foot-6, Ball has the chance to be a dominant point guard in the NBA. He could change the fortunes of many NBA franchises just as he did with UCLA. Every team in the NBA would love to have a player of Ball’s caliber on the court.
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He will be happy to join any of those teams with a chance to help turn around a franchise.
"“I’ll play for anyone, all 30 teams,” Ball told Shams Charania of The Vertical. “I want the challenge of helping turn around any team in the league. Just making it to the NBA, that’s my goal.”"
Improving teams is nothing new to Ball. He did it when he was in high school and did it again at UCLA. He will not be intimidated by having to do it again under the bright lights of the NBA.
"“That’s the culture I want: to enter a situation and help my team win,” Ball told The Vertical. “I’ll do whatever I can for wins. It is what I did when I was at Chino Hills. It’s what I did at UCLA. It’s what I’ll do again at the next level. Just do what I can to help my team win and make players around me better.”"
One of those teams that he could help turn around is the Lakers. The Lakers are rebuilding, and Ball would be another great addition to their young roster. They took some steps forward at the end of the 2016-17 season and have intriguing young players on the roster.
Imagine Ball in the starting backcourt with D’Angelo Russell with Brandon Ingram on the wing and Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac on the block.
Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. would be coming off the bench to give the Lakers a very young core they are hoping could be the foundation of their next dynasty.
The Lakers would also be a special landing spot for Ball because they are his hometown team.
"“The Lakers are in L.A., and they’re close to home,” Ball told The Vertical. “This is where all my family is. Hopefully, they have a nice pick and they have a chance to get me. I want this to be realistic. Just being very family-oriented, to play in front of them would mean a lot to me. The Lakers are a young team and they have a lot of young talent.”"
From a personal perspective, the Lakers would be a great landing spot. Ball is close to his family, so getting to play his home games and half an NBA schedule in front of them would be special.
The Lakers also have an icon leading the franchise now in Magic Johnson. Johnson was named president of basketball operations prior to the NBA trade deadline in February.
His presence could help the Lakers get back on track as he is one of the most recognizable faces associated with the Lakers ever.
His presence would also make playing for the Lakers special for Ball. Ball said that he plays similarly to Johnson and would love to learn from him.
"“I watched tape on Magic when I was young,” Ball told The Vertical, “and it’s why you can see it in my game. He liked to pass, I like to pass. He was a big point guard, I’m a big point guard. And I feel the way the game is played means a lot to him and me.”“I can learn a lot from Magic, and it would be a blessing for me to be able to take after him each and every day,” Ball told The Vertical. “Magic is probably the best guard to ever play the game. The fact that he also played as a big guard, he can show me things.“I would love to have that sit-down and learn to be the best player I can be.”"
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There aren’t many people that played point guard better than Magic Johnson in the NBA. He has probably forgotten more about basketball than many people will learn in their lifetime. He would be an excellent mentor for Ball and someone that could help him take his game to the next level.