Free agency 2021: Lonzo Ball Lakers Return Needs to Happen

Ball will become a restricted free agent and is likely to leave the New Orleans Pelicans. He will be one of the free agents most pursued by teams.

It is fair to say that injuries stopped the Lakers from being able to compete for an NBA championship this year. It’s hard to imagine a fully healthy Lakers team being eliminated in the first round.

Of course, this year most teams in the playoffs are going through their own serious injury problems.

Now that the Lakers’ post-season hopes have ended, it’s time to look to the future. Despite the injuries, watching the Lakers against the Phoenix Suns showed there is a lot of improvements needed to the roster.

A Lonzo Ball Lakers return would be a massive step in improving their roster.

Lonzo Ball Lakers Return: Why They Should Sign Lonzo Ball

Lonzo Ball would be my first choice out of everyone for Lakers’ free agency this year. A Lonzo Ball Lakers return would be perfect for both sides.

We know how much being and playing in Los Angeles means to Ball and his family, seeing as it’s his hometown team. Yes, they did trade him for Anthony Davis; but can anyone really hold anything against the Lakers for doing that seeing as they won a Championship the season of the trade?

The Lakers drafted Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. It’s fair to say he didn’t live up to the high expectations the NBA had for him.

Especially when you see what those drafted after he has gone on to do. The likes of De’Aaron Fox, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum.

However, his game has developed significantly since his time in LA. One of the biggest problems with his game in LA was his three-point shooting.

In his two seasons with the Lakers, he shot 31.5% from three. This season, his second season for the Pelicans, he shot 37.8% from three.

This is even more impressive as he averages 8.1 three-point attempts a game. Ball has developed into a dependable shooter and has also become a good defender.

The Lakers team prides themselves on their defense and need to improve their three-point shooting so he would fit in well.

The main reason he should be the number one target in Laker’s free agency is his playmaking. Ball is an elite playmaker and I think this is exactly what the Lakers need.

LeBron James is becoming more passive and if the Lakers can get another playmaker he can thrive even more off the ball. Furthermore, having a great playmaker would improve their rotations considerably.

The team is obviously much different from what it was during Ball’s first run with the Lakers. A Lonzo Ball Lakers return would have him playing with a better coach than Luke Walton in Frank Vogel and two of the best players in the league.

Throughout most of his career, James has been on teams that struggle when he goes to the bench. With a dependable playmaker, Ball could run the offense when James isn’t on the court.

Magic Johnson recently said: “There’s no guard in this league, point guard, whose basketball IQ is higher than Lonzo Ball.” Johnson is regarded by most as the greatest point guard in history.

It’s hard to argue with him when he talks about who has the most basketball IQ. However, even if you want to disagree with him, Johnson saying the statement shows that Ball’s IQ is formidable.

Who better for him to play with to improve his game as a playmaker than LeBron James. A Lonzo Ball Lakers return would be very different from his first run with the Lakers.

We know he still has a good relationship with James. Ball recently spoke about how much his advice has helped him in his career so far.

The New Orleans Pelicans guard said: “He kind of knew all the crazy stuff I was going through when I got into the league, and he told me just ‘keep the main thing the main thing’ and that’s probably stuck with me the most out of anything anyone’s ever told me because he’s right.”

“Once you take care of what you got to take care of on, off the court, everything else falls in place.”

Whilst Dennis Schroder has had some great moments for the Lakers this season, he isn’t the type of player that the Lakers need going forward.

He showed in the playoffs that his playmaking ability isn’t good enough. He averaged 2.8 assists in the series against the Suns which was surprising after seeing how he stepped up after James’ ankle injury.

Without James, he averaged 17.7 points and 8 assists in 21 games. The Lakers need someone who is primarily a playmaker and can be counted on to do so on a consistent basis.

Ball averaged 6.7 assists after the All-Star break in 22 games. I believe his game would improve playing on a championship level with James and Anthony Davis.

A Lonzo Ball Lakers return could see Ball take the next step in his career in becoming the elite player many thought he would be when he entered the league.

Where better to develop your game, whilst competing for championships than the Lakers with LeBron James.

Ball has played with James before and had some good moments. If he doesn’t get injured in that 2018-19 season, the Lakers arguably could have made the playoffs.

With the way his game has developed it is hard not seeing a Lonzo Ball Lakers return being a success.

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