Lakers rumors: Predicting the first four years under Lonzo Ball
By Keith Rivas
Third Season
Stat Line Average: 21 points, three rebounds, 14 assists
It’ll be a make it or break it season, to put it kindly. Back to back seasons of first round losses won’t go well with fans, and the front office will be forced into keeping a tight leash on Lonzo Ball.
If the Lakers aren’t cutting it during this season, we could see some players either demand a trade or just not put the effort in. That’s where it’ll really be up to Ball to carry the team on his own and see what he’s made of.
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A similar situation, while not exact, would be that of Russell Westbrook taking command of Oklahoma City without Kevin Durant. It’s not like the Thunder were incredible on paper after that, and Westbrook was mainly the only reason they even smelled the postseason.
Lonzo Ball will have much more talent to work with, so that means no room for any excuses. This will be what pushes Ball further than ever before, and we’ll get a potential MVP type of season out of him.
At this juncture, he’ll lead the Lakers to a 52-30 record, the fourth seed in the conference, and a berth in the conference finals. One of the bold predictions to look for here is if he’ll be up against any of the fellow draftees he waited with on draft night.
The Warriors won’t be a powerhouse by this point, so one serious opponent that could rise is the Phoenix Suns. Josh Jackson is a complete player, and if he leads Phoenix to the conference finals this time around, it’d be very much worth the watch.
However, they won’t get to the championship round just yet.