NBA: Ranking the teams in the Pacific Division for 2017-18

3. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers have one heck of a side-show going on in Lonzo Ball and his family. Oh, and the kid is pretty darn good at basketball as well.

Ball got his wish this summer and was drafted by the hometown Lakers with the second overall pick. There was some talk about him going No. 1, but LaVar Ball made it clear he preferred L.A.

The team hopes to use the rookie as a building block, not only for this season, but for years to come. They’ve been in an unfamiliar location the past few years, where they’ve been in the NBA’s basement. I expect them to crawl out this year, but just barely.

Other than Ball, the Lakers also acquired Brook Lopez in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Lopez is an underrated big man in this league and has been expanding his outside shot, knocking down 34.6 percent of his 3-point attempts last season. If he can stay healthy for the third consecutive year, he will be huge for the team.

Kyle Kuzma, the rookie out of Utah, was a welcome surprise in Summer League. Even with knowledge of the below-average competition, Lakers’ fans are excited about his potential this year.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will be another newcomer in the backcourt. He signed a one-year “prove-it” deal. Inexplicably, the Detroit Pistons removed their restricted free agent tender this summer, making him free to sign anywhere he pleased. He’s a solid scorer who has the potential to hit some outside shots and spread the defense out.

Overall, it’s been a quietly good summer for the staple team in Los Angeles. How far they’ll be able to carry their momentum is the biggest question that remains.