In his rookie season in the NBA, it's fair to say that Lonzo Ball didn't really live up to the hype surrounding him prior to his arrival in the league. The young point guard was under a lot of pressure to make an immediate impact in the league, largely due to his father's comments in the media. The 20-year-old had a rollercoaster campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers where he struggled for stretches and also showed flashes of his talent. For a debut year, he averaged solid numbers of 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.Ball had huge difficulty with his shot as he shot just 36 percent from the field and just 30.5 percent from three-point range. He was heavily criticised for much of the campaign for his unorthodox shooting stroke but the Lakers are optimistic that he'll improve.

Making improvements

Lonzo is already working hard this offseason and president Magic Johnson has been encouraged by what he's seen so far. 

As one of the best point guards in NBA history, Magic can help the youngster get better and he explained how they recently spent time together analysing his game by breaking down film.

Johnson says we can expect to see a completely different player next season.

“We’ve had now three films sessions. Yesterday was the third one. It was his call, his choice. He called me wanting to sit down and watch film with me," Johnson said, per Spectrum SportsNet. 

“I broke down his game... You’re going to see a different Lonzo Ball next season. I think a more aggressive Lonzo Ball. A Lonzo Ball who will also still make his teammates better, but he’ll be looking for his shot because I need him to score.”

Magic has also been impressed with the way the former UCLA product is transforming his body and looking to improve his offensive skills.

"I’m excited about… If you look at his body now, it’s completely different than last season," he said. "Also too, he’s been working on his ball handling, his floaters and his shot."

Reading between the lines, this would indicate that the franchise has no interest in trading last year's number two overall pick. 

With LA keen on securing a trade for Kawhi Leonard from the San Antonio Spurs, there have been some rumours that Ball may be one of the players sacrificed. 

But Magic is a huge fan of Lonzo and believes that he can be a star in the league. He showed encouraging signs as a rookie and will only get better. 

Regardless of who they potentially acquire in free agency, the Purple and Gold should be excited by the progress Lonzo is likely to show. 

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