The last four seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers have marked the longest playoff drought in franchise history. However, the organization believes that a major step was taken in the right direction on Thursday night in selecting former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Immediately following the announcement of the pick by the Lakers, Lonzo's father LaVar Ball proclaimed that his son would lead the team into the playoffs in his first season in the NBA. In light of that, Lonzo doubled down on that notion, according to Mark Medina of the Orange County Register.

Ball predicted Lakers forward Brandon Ingram, who just had an up and down rookie season, “going to be a superstar in this league.” Does Ball, who called himself “definitely a point guard,” think the Lakers can make the playoffs next season?

“Yeah I do,” Ball said. “They have enough talent and the right people in charge. I’m looking forward to playing.”

Although this is quite a boastful proclamation by Ball, the Lakers still have quite an uphill to climb to make that come to fruition. Keep in mind, Los Angeles is coming off a 26-win campaign that saw them win five of their last six games, which has created more optimism around the team heading into next season.
The addition of Ball could go a long way in helping stabilize the backcourt with a true point guard that possesses an unselfish pass-first mentality on the court. This may be what the Lakers need in order to see some drastic improvement in the second year under head coach Luke Walton.
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Los Angeles is aiming to play in a uptempo offense that Ball has excelled in at both in college with UCLA and high school at Chino Hills high school. His ability to effectively orchestrate a fast-paced system is what Walton and the organization are hoping can eventually translate to more than just a playoff appearance.