4. Lonzo and Magic bring hope for the return of Showtime
Since the idea of Ball possibly coming to the Lakers was first mentioned, it became synonymous with the possibility of a new age of Showtime. It definitely doesn’t hurt when the original orchestrator himself, Magic Johnson, has said that he sees himself in Ball.
Ball had already been compared to Magic because of his size and passing ability. Now with Johnson saying the same, it’s only natural to bring up a new era of Showtime.
What was special about the Showtime era was the fast-paced offense, the no-look passes, and the whole vibe around the team. With Ball joining the team we could see all those factors coming back.
Ball is best known for pushing the offense and throwing passes that leave us shaking our collective heads. Another thing that’s changed with Ball on the roster is the vibe. Obviously, the Lakers aren’t anywhere near title contention, but the way the Lakers are seen now has changed. The team isn’t a joke anymore. They’re young and promising, and they’re going to battle every night.
Pelinka and Magic have talked about ushering in a new vision, but it doesn’t look entirely new. Their vision is to have a team that can get out and run led by their pass-first point guard. Of course, the second part of their plan includes adding big name free agents, but the first piece of the championship puzzle was adding Lonzo Ball.
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The good thing about their plan is that everything goes hand in hand. Now that they have found their new orchestrator in Ball, all they need are the players around him. The front office hope for those players to be superstars and as farfetched as that sounds, it could happen. Landing Ball was the first step in bringing back the Showtime era.