At the 2017 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick. Despite struggling in the first game, Ball averaged a near triple-double as he was named the Las Vegas Summer League Most Valuable Player.

With the 2017-18 NBA season approaching, all the attention remains on Ball. According to Nina Mandell of USA Today, Corey Brewer had high praise for the rookie point guard after throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium:

“He's a really smart kid,” Brewer said. “The best thing about him is he makes the right pass, he makes all the right plays. Even when he was playing badly in the first game of the Summer League, he was making all of the right plays. It just didn't go right.”

While some will say it was only Summer League, Ball has received high praise from President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka. In today's league where point guards have become scorers, Ball's pass-first mentality is refreshing and should attract players.

Heading into the new season, there is great optimism for the city. Should Ball and Brandon Ingram show All-Star potential, it will be interesting to see if it is enough to attract two superstars like LeBron James and Paul George in free agency.