The Los Angeles Lakers are only two preseason games in and Lonzo Ball has become the center of attraction at every practice, game, and media scrum coming into this season as the No. 2 overall pick in this year's NBA Draft.
From his dazzling dimes on the hardwood to his highly-regarded vision on the court, the 19-year-old point guard is a player to watch. Head coach Luke Walton is expecting more than just a star to put butts in the seats, but also one that can become a leader going forward.
“We need him to be,” Walton said after a 113-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. “The way he plays the game of basketball, everywhere he goes… if he went to a rec center, people would follow him because he makes people better.”
“That’s what great leaders do.”
The Lakers seem intent on this revival of the Showtime era of Lakers basketball, only a year after the retirement of their previous idol Kobe Bryant.
But it hasn't been the hype that has caught the eyes of this roster's veterans, but rather the amount of work put in during this short offseason.
“I’m really impressed with him,” veteran forward Luol Deng said. “First of all, his IQ on the basketball court … for his age, he sees a lot of things a lot of people don’t see. That’s a great quality to have in a point guard.
“But off the court is where I’m surprised the most. The kid works really hard. He’s in the gym working on his game. Very respectful, very quiet, studying the game every time we are in the locker room. But definitely you can tell he’s serious about the game.”
Ball's leadership should come through as he goes through a long 82-game season, but he'll need to get through it healthy after suffering an ankle injury during Monday's loss to the Nuggets.
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