Los Angeles Lakers: 2017-18 NBA season preview

Storyline 1: Are the Lakers Big Ballers?

Whether it became reality when LaVar Ball spoke it over his infant son Lonzo, or when Adam Silver announced at the NBA Draft that the Los Angeles Lakers had selected the former UCLA point guard, Lonzo Ball is now a member of the Lakers’ organization.

That also means that, for better or for worse, Big Baller Brand resides in Staples Center as well. In a city of celebrities, LaVar Ball — and somehow to a lesser extent Lonzo, the actual NBA player — is one of the biggest stars in the country, now known to casual sports fans and anyone who watches the news.

On his end, Lonzo has to prove he can play. That is not a given based on his college record, which showed inconsistency and an inability to beat players off of the dribble. With pressures from outside and within, Lonzo Ball will have to prove to fans in Los Angeles and nationwide that he is the real deal, a bonafide big baller.

Until he does so, the question of how good Lonzo will be is difficult to answer. His passing is exquisite, his vision exceptional. Few players in NBA history have the natural gifts that he does. If Ball can step up and be the young star to run with LeBron and whoever else joins him, then he is in good shape moving forward.