1. Lonzo Ball
My oh my how quickly things can change in a year. At this time last year, Lonzo Ball was being hailed as the new face of the franchise. Fast forward to present day, there is a new face of the franchise in place and Ball’s starting job is in jeopardy.
Of all the players on the Lakers, Lonzo Ball has had arguably the toughest offseason. His rookie seasons ended on a low note as he was sidelined with a knee injury.
The knee injury looked to be behind him in early June, as he recovered from the PRP injection and he was back on the court. By the end of June, it was announced that he had a torn meniscus and would be sidelined, again.
Ball is expected to be ready for camp, and for his sake, he better be. There is no denying the talent that Ball has. Despite his shooting struggles, he still had a positive impact on the Lakers last season when on the court, on both ends.
Ball is an important part of the puzzle for the Lakers, but they will not wait for him to catch up. They have a more than capable backup now in Rajon Rondo to pick up the slack should Ball fall behind because of his injury or struggle again.
Ball is by far the player that needs to work the hardest coming into camp. He hasn’t been 100 percent healthy in months, has a jump shot that is under construction and will be pushed for playing time by Rondo.
If this doesn’t light a fire under Ball to get to work, he may not be long for Los Angeles. Things can really change quickly in a year’s time.