Lonzo Ball is the future of the Los Angeles Lakers. Although he is starting a bit slow in the season, he has become one of the promising young rookies in the NBA. His unique pass-first, up tempo style is something that hasn't been seen since Jason Kidd. With his unusual length, Lonzo Ball could become somewhat of a Magic Johnson as the Lakers try to build around him. Lonzo Ball apparently isn't an ace on offense, so the Lakers will have to try to gain pieces to make Ball's job easier on the court.
Here are five players that the Lakers will bring in to accommodate Lonzo Ball as the Lakers hope to contend for the future.
5. Paul George
The Lakers are in luck. Paul George has already expressed his desire to come home to the Lakers last summer. Therefore, the Lakers have the advantage to grab Paul George either through a trade or in free agency. Paul George would be an ideal fit for the Lakers, mainly because he is a proven scorer and versatile defender. Lonzo Ball specializes in driving the Lakers' up tempo offense. With George, the Lakers can get quality stops on defense and use George as a stud on the fastbreak. Paul George is also a great three point shooter, and Ball would thrive giving him the opportunities that Westbrook can't.
Ball isn't known for his offensive game, so adding Paul George to the roster would make sense. In this way, the Lakers can unleash Paul George as their first option, while Ball can setup Kuzma and Ingram to feed off of the mismatches that George could exploit. The partnership would be beneficial for both parties because the Lakers would get a quality scorer and Paul George will finally return home and become the leader of his own team.
4. DeMarcus Cousins
DeMarcus Cousins will be a free agent this year, and the Pelicans will have to entice him to stay and make things work with Anthony Davis. However, the Pelicans have proved that even with the two star big men, they won't be able to achieve the success to compete in the Western Conference. Therefore, the Lakers will make an attempt to sign DeMarcus Cousins. To start, Cousins would be an ideal partner for Lonzo Ball and the entire Lakers squad. He can get his own shot, he is a great passer, and he could be transformed into an effective pick and roll partner. The Lakers could make enough room to sign Cousins to a max contract, which will be more than enough to convince the big man to come to L.A.
On the court, Cousins can easily draw mismatches for opposing centers. He is also physical enough to grab rebounds, something the Lakers desperately need if they hope to be a title contender in the future. With DeMarcus Cousins, Lonzo Ball can focus on passing and making his teammates better. Cousins' scoring and rebounding will effectively take the emphasis off of Ball's weak offensive game, and allow him to complement the Lakers in other ways.
3. DeAndre Jordan
If the Lakers cannot get Cousins, then DeAndre Jordan would be the next best thing. Chris Paul was able to utilize DeAndre Jordan to his best potential, using the big man as a screen setter and lob partner. DeAndre Jordan protects the paint at an elite level, and his defense can help the Lakers win tight games down the stretch. For Lonzo Ball, he can use Jordan even better than Chris Paul did for the Clippers. Jordan is very active setting screens, which can give Ball the opportunity to set his teammates up off the pick and roll.
In fact, a pick and roll with Lonzo Ball would be amazing if Ball could work on his shot. If Ball becomes the shooter than NBA scouts expect him to be, he can punish defenders if they choose to go around screens. So, if Ball becomes a better shooter in the future, Jordan would make an excellent partner. For example, if Lonzo uses Jordan as a pick and roll partner, he would give Kuzma the chance to make wide open threes. This would effectively open up the floor, which is why the Lakers would be incredible if they could only get a great three point shooter.
2. Klay Thompson
When Klay Thompson's free agency hits in 2019, who knows what will happen. The Golden State Warriors will obviously pursue him with full force, but things aren't always that simple. Thompson could become a unrestricted free agent in 2019, and he has quite a few ambitions. Golden State could offer Thompson success, but the Lakers can pay him more and give him the chance to be the star in L.A. If the Lakers can pull it off, they will undoubtedly give Lonzo Ball the partner he can only dream of, a Splash Brother.
Much like how Stephen Curry uses Thompson to shoot threes off of pick and rolls and fastbreak opportunities, Ball could do the same. In fact, the Lakers have a former Warriors coach as their head coach. They should be able to take a few plays out of the Warriors playbook and use Klay Thompson to be a weapon. With effective screens, Lonzo could get Thompson open and torch defenses with an up tempo style of play. That leaves room for one more player to glue it all together.
1. LeBron James
The Lakers and LeBron James have some history. LeBron James is currently battling Father Time, and he looks poised to make another impressive Finals appearance. James knows that he is getting older. It doesn't make sense for LeBron to work extra hard on a contender, rather than to spend a year mentoring a young team to be a contender. That way, LeBron James can get the help he needs and compete for titles throughout the span of his career, rather than burn himself out before he can get the chance to retire.
LeBron James could serve as a mentor to Lonzo Ball, and he could actually become a small forward instead of a do-it-all point forward. For LeBron, this is a chance to get some help and win more titles down the road. He may not say no, and that's a good thing for Lonzo Ball and the Lakers. For all of these players, the Lakers definitely have a shot of persuading them to rebuild the Showtime dynasty. Time will tell whether things go according to plan.
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