LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are set to open their regular season against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 18. The season is nearly upon us, but the Lakers are still dealing with some nagging injury issues. One of the players still dealing with some problems is second-year point guard Lonzo Ball.

As the season continues to draw closer, the media has been asking James what his expectations for the team are. One of those questions had to do with how he feels Ball will impact the team when he returns.

Mike Trudell, a beat writer for the Lakers, took to Twitter to share James' answer about what kind of impact Ball's return will make, especially when it comes to the second unit.

Ball was a bit of a disappointment last season for the Lakers after being drafted with the No. 2 overall pick. He ended up averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game. The main issues were Ball's shooting numbers, which were just 36 percent from the field overall and 30.5 from the 3-point line.

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Rajon Rondo is a perfect veteran point guard for the Lakers. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, Rondo will be able to be a floor general for Luke Walton's offense.

James has always run more of a point guard role throughout his career. His time with the Lakers likely isn't going to be anything different. If Ball can develop his three-point shooting a bit, playing him alongside James would make the most sense in the starting lineup in order to spread the floor over.

No matter where Ball ends up playing this season, James seems to have full confidence in him. The Lakers are going to need Ball to develop quickly if they want to contend with the Golden State Warriors anytime soon.

Expect to see James take Ball under his wing this season and help the talented rookie guard improve quicker. James is the best player in the world and would be a perfect mentor for Ball.