Los Angeles Lakers: Predicting post-LeBron James agreement starting 5
Point Guard: Lonzo Ball
Unless he somehow gets traded (unlikely), there’s no reason for this to change. Even with Rajon Rondo now in town, I don’t see the “new face of the Lakers” riding the bench. There’s just too much upside with the young facilitating pint guard.
With James now in town, I see Ball’s star rising faster and higher than originally projected. Not only does having a talent like LeBron to pass to make life easier, but it should allow Ball more opportunities to refine his own scoring skills. The King loves to pass, and Magic wants the clever playmaker to be more aggressive with putting the ball in the basket in 2018-19.
All that said, LeBron did tell the Lakers on Saturday night that he likes Lonzo’s game and is excited to play with him.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 2, 2018
There’s just so much to love about what we’ve already seen from Ball. Sure, his shooting was erratic at times as a rookie. Then again, that’s not his calling as an NBA-caliber talent. The kid is a transcendent passer who loves to create opportunities for his teammates. Well now he’s got one of the game’s best scorers to set up time and time again.
Furthermore, I’m excited to see his continued development as a defender. By the time the 2017-18 season had come to a close, Ball already looked like one of the league’s top young defensive guards. Heading into his sophomore campaign, I’d expect another sizable step forward being taken by Ball on that end of the court.
All of the pieces are in place for Ball to have a sensational second season in Los Angeles. Even without James, nothing but great things could have been expected from the UCLA product.