Los Angeles Lakers: Which 2 players will Lonzo Ball impact the most?

Feb 23, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Wells-Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 23, 2017; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Wells-Fargo Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Los Angeles Lakers
June 23, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Newly drafted Los Angeles Lakers player Lonzo Ball poses for photographs with his game jersey following introduction to media at Toyota Sports Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

The Transcendent Talent

Despite Ball’s shortcomings on defense, the key to unlocking his potential and unleashing the greatest impact on Ingram and Lopez will be the element that has gotten him to this point: Focus.

It is paramount for him to focus on his strengths of getting his teammates involved on the court. While, at the same time, ignoring the unwarranted praise and comparison thrust upon him off of it. After selecting him, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said,

"“There’s something very, very special about his basketball abilities. If you use a sports analogy in another sport, you look at passers like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers that just have an ability to do something that is so special with where they put the ball and where they deliver it. I think the vision and the abilities that Lonzo has puts him in a class of being a transcendent talent.”"

Well, from his father comparing him to former league MVP Steph Curry, to his new general manager comparing him to first ballot Hall of Famers, it’s fair to say Lonzo has high expectations.

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The only way he will come close to delivering on those expectations is to ignore the distractions of branding and comparisons. His focus must be fixed on bringing a winning culture back to Los Angeles, a winning culture that insist on featuring his teammates and demanding more out of them. If Ball is able to do this, everything else will fall in place.