If Lonzo Ball experiment fails, the Lakers will go down in flames

For Lonzo Ball and the Lakers, nothing should scare them more than disappointment.

Falling short of lofty goals is something that happens more often than we give credit for in the NBA. Lonzo Ball, the newest Lakers point guard and second overall lottery pick, has plenty of weight to handle in his first season as a professional.

He holds the keys to a couple things that the Lakers have chosen to give up all team control on. First and foremost, the idea that a superstar or two superstars will come to Los Angeles and play in purple and gold hinges on his rookie campaign.

If things don’t pan out well, it could raise problems for the potential pursuits of guys like Paul George, LeBron James, and Russell Westbrook. However, if he exceeds expectations and outperforms everybody he’s up against, especially in his rookie class, then that leaves the team all in on free agency next summer.

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Second, Lonzo Ball is now in charge of and responsible for the chemistry of the team moving forward. Team president Magic Johnson didn’t hold back from criticizing former Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell for lacking in that area, so there’s no excuses for Lonzo to even be on edge whatsoever.

If he can’t mesh well with the other guys, especially Brandon Ingram, down the road, there could be even more problems looming for Los Angeles. Thankfully, it seems that it won’t be a major issue during Ball’s time with the Lakers, but it’s something worth thinking about and a fair question moving forward.

Lastly, Ball has Johnson’s reputation in his hands as an executive. Not as a player, obviously, but Ball has been the player that Johnson sees as a championship contender, a winner, and ultimately an immediate game changer.

There’s no way this whole summer goes down the way that it did if Magic Johnson felt any differently, even in the slightest. That being said, the pressure for Lonzo Ball to perform really ends up falling on Johnson’s shoulders.

So Lakers fans need to remember who to be upset and displeased with if Lonzo Ball does become a bust. There’s plenty of things that have to happen first in order to even have that conversation, but where one should direct their blame is a must know in these situations.

Next: Did The Lakers Tamper With Paul George?

Regardless of how you might feel towards Lonzo or other members of the Ball family, you have to respect that Lonzo is his own person and how he handles the pressure and bright lights is what matters most.

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