Written by Rob Goldberg at Bleacher Reports.com
Lonzo Ball has come under more pressure thanks to repeated lofty comments by his father, LaVar, but his new coach with the Los Angeles Lakers doesn’t believe this will be as big of an issue as many think.
“I think it will make it more challenging, a little bit, but I think every top draft pick that comes in has a target on their back,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said, per Baxter Holmes and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
“The best players in this league want to set the tone with these young players early, to let them know what it’s like here,” he added. “I know when I was a young player, I had a target on my back from my own teammates because of things my dad said, but it ended up working out.”
Immediately after Lonzo was selected with the No. 2 pick of the 2017 NBAdraft, LaVar said on ESPN: “Lonzo Ball is going to take the Lakers to the playoffs in his first year.”
As soon as Lonzo Ball got picked, the Big Baller Brand started pre-selling his on-court shoe he will wear in LA ($495) pic.twitter.com/9ZflFL7kIc
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 22, 2017
Of course, leading the squad to the playoffs would be quite an achievement. Los Angeles has gone four straight years without a postseason appearance and only won 26 games a year ago.
Even with the addition of Brook Lopez and quality young players around him, this team might still be a year or so away from contention.
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