The start of the 2024-25 NBA season has seen a long-awaited return from former Los Angeles Lakers No. 2 pick Lonzo Ball. Ball has dealt with injuries throughout his career and hadn’t played since the 2021-22 season before returning to action on October 23.
While the injuries are a factor, the Lakers could be interested in reuniting with the 3-and-D wing, as he’s changed his game. Ball has become an excellent defender and can shoot the 3-pointer at an above-average clip.
Stephen Noh of The Sporting News proposed the idea and put together an interesting package for the Lakers to acquire Ball.
Lakers would receive: Ball, Jevon Carter
Chicago Bulls would receive: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent
“The Lakers’ two big weaknesses last year were a lack of 3-point shooting and a mediocre defense that didn’t generate enough turnovers. A Ball reunion would address those issues. Ball is a much different shooter than he was in his first stint in Los Angeles, completely reworking his form and turning into a deadly weapon. He was a very high-volume 3-point shooter when he was last healthy, hitting 42.3 percent of his 7.4 attempts per game in 2021-22. Nobody on the Lakers shot that many per game last season…
“The cost for the Lakers here wouldn’t be too big. Hachimura has been a good starter, but Ball is the better player if he’s healthy… If the experiment didn’t work, the Lakers could get away from it in a year given that Ball is on an expiring contract,” Noh wrote on October 25. “If it did work, the Lakers would have a 26-year-old starter-caliber player in the mold of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from their last championship team.”
Why the Lakers Need to Do Their Due Diligence
As a player, there isn’t much of a debate about whether Ball would help this Los Angeles Lakers team. While he’s a different player than D’Angelo Russell, he could slide into the starting point guard position and give the Lakers a different look.
However, considering some had suggested he wouldn’t ever play in the NBA again just a year ago, there are worries about his future outlook regarding is health.
“Ball’s health is going to remain a big question mark. The Bulls are keeping him out of back-to-backs and limiting his minutes for now,” Noh wrote. “But if he does look like he can stay healthy, then he is essentially a taller version of Derrick White who will be readily available on the trade market. Once he proves that he’s totally back, the Lakers have the assets to go out and get him. ”
As Noh alluded, if Ball didn’t work out, the Lakers wouldn’t be in the worst position. Losing Hachimura for him would be a tough blow if he dealt with injuries, but Ball will hit free agency next offseason, and the Lakers will be off his contract.
Lakers Would Improve Defensively by Adding Ball
The Los Angeles Lakers defense could be better despite their 3-0 start. They’ve allowed 116 and 127 points in their last two games.
They have a great defensive anchor in Anthony Davis and other decent individual defenders. However, landing Ball would change all of that.
The Lakers could then consistently switch or even change up their schemes to help Davis stay around the rim. He’s an excellent on-ball defender and could help defend the other team’s best guard.
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