The Los Angeles Lakers have yet again landed the number two NBA draft pick. Will they finally be able to turn the page? They missed the playoffs for a fourth consecutive time. Their fans have been patient but now expect more out of the most storied franchise in the NBA. The Kobe era came to an end; the fans are now eager to witness and celebrate a new era of Laker dominance in the NBA.
Now, all falls in the hands of a novice Laker front-office that has to decide what do with this year's draft pick and take the right steps after the night of the 2017 NBA draft.
This valuable draft pick allows the Lakers to have more flexibility moving forward and to not rush any decisions during the summer. However, a certain player by the name of Lonzo Ball is ready to make some noise in Laker Nation for the right reasons.
The solution is Ball...and ball
The next important step involves selecting the right player in this year's draft and assessing what to do with him. The Lakers could keep him or attempt to trade him for a superstar in the league. However, it is simple. The infamous Lonzo Ball is their man, if available of course. Well, his father LaVar Ball is the one who's rather grown infamous. In terms of basketball skills, the Lakers have no reason to not select a kid who is clearly special and could probably become a generational player.
Lonzo's selflessness, combined with a privileged basketball IQ and an appreciable athleticism, make him a kind of player any team would want. He is the kind of player one can build around and that others would love playing with.
The Lakers need this kind of player. Luke Walton's system needs this kind of player. In a system where the ball needs to move faster than any player and where the extra pass is fundamental, a player like Ball would flourish as a leader on the open floor.
What Walton's system does not need at the point guard position is D'Angelo Russell. While his talent and potential are out of the question, he is a player that can only shine when the ball is in hands. In addition, moving him to the shooting guard spot would be a mistake. His defensive weaknesses would further be exploited by bigger and quicker guards, not to mention that he is not great at moving and slashing without the ball on the offensive end of the floor.
Ball this year, free agency next year
Then comes the final decision, whether to keep Ball or trade him. magic johnson, the new president of basketball operations for the Lakers, should keep Ball. The allure of getting a Paul George or Jimmy Butler right away can be blinding. Lonzo may just be the missing piece that can bring everyone on the Laker roster together and take them to a different level. Thinking about getting Paul George can be enticing. One can almost assume that he wants to become a Laker, especially after watching his recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel. However, he will be a free agent next summer and the Lakers should take their chances. That is the moment to go for the home run.
On the other hand, getting Ball would mean that Russell would be put in a difficult position. Thus, the right move would be to trade him for the right price. You do not want Russell's value in the market to drop next season as a result of his diminished role on the floor. It will also be crucial to be able to remove the salaries of Mozgov and Deng from Lakers' books, so if any if these two players can be included in a deal it would help the Lakers immensely. However, this is unlikely for they still have three more years left in their hefty contracts thanks to Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak's incompetence last summer.
This being said, many Laker fans are already seeing in Lonzo Ball a savior; however, he is simply a basketball need for the Lakers right now.
His loud-mouthed father does not scare me nor will he scare away five-time NBA champion and proven businessman and leader Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. If any inconvenient Ball-talk ever surfaces 'Magic' and Walton will know how to handle it. The NBA is not college, and one of the NBA's natural laws entails parents seamlessly moving into the shadows of their kids and staying there. Laker Nation, the future finally looks bright, but patience will continue to be a virtue.
