Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball is yet to play an NBA regular season game, but he is already a target of several veterans in the league. Among them is one of the Los Angeles Clippers' new players, Patrick Beverley. The point guard is known for his defensive game, and he wants to use it on Ball.

In a recent appearance on ESPN's First Take, Ball's father, LaVar Ball, claimed that Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry would not dare to guard his son. This statement by LaVar captured the attention of Beverley. The Clippers point guard responded through Twitter.

According to him, he will be the first to defend the Ball. The Lakers are opening their 2017-18 season against the Clippers on October 19.

The Lakers are expecting a lot from Ball, and going up against one of the best defenders in the NBA today in his debut is an excellent test. It would be interesting to see how the 19-year-old will perform while Beverley is applying lockdown defense on him. Ball was a triple-double machine in the Las Vegas Summer League and the purple and gold franchise believes he can continue that in the regular season.

Ball lauds Kyle Kuzma

Another promising rookie for the Lakers is the 27th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kyle Kuzma. Similar to Ball, Kuzma displayed tremendous potential in the Las Vegas Summer League. The former University of Utah standout proved that he is a scorer. He was even named the MVP of the championship game.

In an interview on the Lakers Nation podcast, Kuzma received praises from Ball. According to Ball, Kuzma impressed him with his shooting, athleticism, and overall game. That is good news for the Lakers since it looks like they have prospects who could be franchise stars in the future. Ball and Kuzma are joining the likes of fellow developing talents Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson.

Defensive specialist Josh Hart

One of the Lakers rookies rarely mentioned is Josh Hart. The guard was the 30th pick of Los Angeles in this year's draft. He is also a promising player for the organization. The 22-year-old had a great college career in Villanova and was a member of the Wildcats squad that won the 2016 NCAA championship.

In Hart's time with the Wildcats, he was a scorer, especially in his final two years with the team. However, he wants to change that now that he is in Los Angeles. In a podcast interview, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard shared his desire to be a "defensive stopper" for the Lakers. Defense is an aspect of the game the Lakers must improve. It is good that some of their youngsters are committed to helping achieve this goal.