Lakers News: Latest Buzz on Lonzo Ball's Defensive Outlook, LeBron James, More
When the Los Angeles Lakers take the court for the first time this season on Thursday night, all eyes will be on the official beginning of the LeBron James era, and rightfully so.
But outside of how the best player in the NBA can lead the resurgence of the Purple and Gold, those eyes will likely focus on the team’s point guard of the future, Lonzo Ball.
Ball is working his way back slowly from successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, so the Lakers are cautious as they work him back into the lineup.
That means Ball will start the season coming off the bench.
It's a bit of step back from last year's run as the floor general for the first unit, but as he works his way back, he's focused on the basics: improving his jump shot and, of course, defense.
In fact, it's Ball's commitment to disrupting the opponent's offense that could catapult him into being the player that Magic Johnson prophesied when he drafted him No. 2 overall in 2017.
"I think I'm one of the best defenders on the team," Ball told Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. "So when you're guarding some other team's best players, especially if they are guards, just try to make their jobs as hard as I can."
Last year, Ball flirted with averaging a triple-double with 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. But it was his disruption of passing lanes, long arms and deceptively quick hands on defense that also stood out.
He averaged 1.7 steals per contest, which ranked ninth among guards in the NBA that suited up for at least 30 times last season.
In addition to rehabbing his knee, Ball also put on an extra 20 pounds of muscle to his 6'5" frame, giving him a chance to be stronger when going up against some of the league's top guards.
"He is big on versatility and switching lineups," said Lakers head coach Luke Walton. "He has great instincts and deflections. All the things that we harp on every day and what we want to do as a defensive unit. As far as doing that as a rookie, surprised me. It is a tough position to play, but we knew early on he was going to be able to cause the turnovers for us and guard multiple positions. It was good to see while he was healthy that he was able to maintain that."
LeBron Learns What to Call Luke Walton
The Lakers boast an impressive young core of talent, centered around Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball.
Youth is considered a plus when it comes to building a foundation in the NBA.
But what about when it comes to having a young head coach?
Despite being a coaching wunderkind, the common rub against the 38-year old Walton is his lack of experience on the bench.
An extra wrinkle was added to Walton's tenure, though, when LeBron James signed with the Lakers this summer.
James and Walton were both a part of the 2003 draft class, with the former going No. 1 overall and the latter falling to the second round (32nd overall).
James discussed the unique dynamic in a recently released bonus clip from his HBO show "The Shop."
When asked what he calls Walton, he wasn't sure.
"I don't know," James shared. "He hasn't said it yet. I've called him coach a couple times and I've called him Luke a couple times and he hasn't said anything. And I'm like, 'What should I—what do you want me to call you? Like, I need to know. I need to know this."
Although they were drafted in the same year and they are around the same age, James reserves a certain level of respect for anyone that coaches him.
"For me, you're my coach and I always feel like there's a hierarchy to that," James added. "Like, I'm the player and you're the coach, so it's like the respect factor. That's how it goes. Never in my career, even when I was a kid, made myself feel like I was bigger than the head coach."
Rajon Rondo Impressed by Team's Study Habits
Since joining the Lakers, much has been made of Rajon Rondo's basketball IQ.
Rondo loves the game and loves to study the game.
He was expected to come in and help the team's young core develop as players but was pleasantly surprised after witnessing their commitment to film.
"I love our young guys and their commitment," Rondo told Joey Ramirez of Lakers.com. "The way they play the game, their willingness to learn. I was telling LeBron the other day, we were on the plane and I've never seen damn near 12 guys watching film as a team. It was very refreshing to see, understanding this team is committed."
The scene reminded him of his early days with the Boston Celtics, when he learned from the trio of future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
In just his second season in the league, he won an NBA championship against the Lakers.
He sees that same desire to learn in his young teammates.
"I was just trying to be a sponge," Rondo added. "And it kind of reminds me of how Kuz, B.I., Zo. Those young guys kinda remind me of myself back in the day as far as wanting to learn so much and asking a lot of questions."
Although he's a 12-year veteran, Rondo is still a student of the game, often viewing an iPad while on the bench this preseason.
"His basketball IQ—I've said it before—is as high as anyone I've seen in this game," Walton said. "For him to watch live clips and be able to make adjustments on the go during games, that doesn't surprise me."
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
