Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the last 10 first-round picks

5. Lonzo Ball (2017)

Another UCLA points guard drafted by the Lakers, the difference between Lonzo Ball and Jordan Farmar is that Lonzo was a lottery pick who garnered celebrity status and was hyped up as the future of the franchise upon his arrival.

Magic Johnson was so impressed by Lonzo that he compared him to himself, and talked about the 6’6″ playmaker joining Lakers legends in the Staples Center rafters with his jersey being retired someday.

Lonzo became one of the most polarizing rookies to enter the NBA in recent memory, almost all of which stemmed from the media frenzy and mini-controversies surrounding his father, LaVar Ball. While Lonzo stayed quiet, LaVar’s gift for gab and promotional boasting drew enough attention to make Lonzo one of the league’s most talked-about players before he played his first game.

The good things that Lonzo did for the Lakers — most notably his incredible passing and tough defense — was always overshadowed by LaVar’s personality and Lonzo’s own shooting woes.

Lonzo was a good shooter at UCLA, but for some reason, he lost that when he came to the Lakers. In two seasons, Lonzo shot 38.0 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from 3-point land, and 43.7 percent at the free throw line; bad enough to make Shaq cringe.

Lonzo was also plagued by injuries in L.A., missing about 40 percent of the Lakers’ games in his two seasons with the club.

The one-time face of the franchise was traded last summer to the Pelicans as part of the Davis deal. Making a public break from his dad professionally and establishing chemistry with New Orleans star rookie Zion Williamson has apparently put Lonzo back on the right track.

This season he’s averaging 12.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and his shooting percentages are up across the board to more a more digestible 41.2 percent from the field, 38.3 percent beyond the arc, and 56.7 percent at the line.