When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Rajon Rondo, the move was seen as something to stabilize its young backcourt. However, rather than have the NBA veteran come off the bench and teach the guys like Lonzo Ball a thing or two, the 32-year-old will do all that by being the starter for the Lakers.
Once news of that broke out, focus shifted to Ball who many perceived to be the starting guard in his sophomore year. While he did show plenty of hardcourt brilliance, it remains that Ball still needs to finetune a lot of things in his game, particularly his shooting stroke.
Even before he moved to the pro ranks, Balls unorthodox shooting form drew flak from pundits. Nevertheless, Ball showed he could do more than score and make his teammates look good.
Rondo, known to be one of the best passers the NBA has ever seen, should further enhance Ball’s on-court vision. The Lakers do have a multitude of players who can do the scoring– most notably LeBron James.
James is elated with the backcourt he will work with, branding them ‘Zo and ‘Do. He sees great things ahead for his new team with the two guards as they set out to face tougher teams once the NBA season official unfurls.
For Lonzo, learning the game from one of the best point guards in the NBA is already an honor. And it seems he got a bit overwhelmed knowing he would be mentored by the player who already savored NBA gold back in 2008 when he was still the main guard for the Boston Celtics.
“Just sitting there listening to those guys speak, it was very powerful. When Rondo talks, you’re going to listen. Obviously when Magic talks, you’ve got to listen. It was amazing,” said Ball thru Lakers Nation.
With James, Rondo, and Ball being in one team, the Lakers could improve on their previous regular NBA season finishes. So the only question now is how far they can go.
James has been there and proven to everyone that he can lead any team to the NBA finals. He did it with the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers. For the Lakers to reach at least the playoffs, it all depends on who will provide the necessary support for the King, Yardbarker said.
Among the holdovers in the Lakers roster are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart. The new faces in the mix include Lance Stephenson, JaVale McGee, and Michael Beasley.
The mix carries familiar names who have proven their worth. Hence, it all depends on whether head coach Luke Walton can pull some strings and get a streak going for the purple and gold.
