Lonzo Ball returned to action after missing six weeks with a knee injury. (AP)

Lonzo Ball is the most polarizing athlete in the NBA. LeBron James and Steph Curry have their share of haters, but they don’t have a reality TV star father who picks fights with the president of the United States.

From the moment the 6-foot-6 Ball entered the NBA, he’s had a big target on his back. Everyone tried to test him. Patrick Beverley picked him up fullcourt on opening night. Jamal Murray tried to embarrass him. And the Lakers and Magic Johnson didn’t do the Chino Hills, Calif., product any favors by publicly making him the face of arguably the most storied franchise in the league. Because of the hype surrounding him, Ball’s game has been dissected and scrutinized like no other rookie.

They made fun of his unorthodox windup on his jump shot. Twitter nearly exploded when he cut his hair. He was ruthlessly bashed by pundits on TV and wannabe pundits on social media when he was shooting less than 30 percent from the field earlier in the season.

Fox Sports’ Rob Parker has already called him a bust. Parker has been making that declaration for months and reiterated it on FS1’s “Undisputed,” even going as far as suggesting the Lakers should trade Lonzo because his father is becoming too much of a distraction.

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said he is “petrified” that Lonzo is a bust, and points to Ball’s lack of aggression as his biggest road block.

But despite all the noise around him, Ball has been able to quietly put together an outstanding rookie season. If the season ended today, Ball would finish the season with 10.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists in 38 games. He would become only the fourth rookie in NBA history to accomplish that stat line. The other four are fellow rookie Ben Simmons, Magic Johnson, and Oscar Robertson. It’s probably safe to say those guys are not busts.

Back in November, Ball made history by becoming the youngest NBA player (20 years, 15 days) to record a triple-double. He posted 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists against the Milwaukee Bucks. The previous youngest player to post a triple-double was LeBron James. It’s probably safe to say LeBron is not a bust.

Here’s the bottom line on Lonzo. Don’t judge him by what you hear, judge him by what you see.

What we’ve seen in Ball’s last 10 games is a player whose arrow keeps pointing up. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. He’s making 42 percent of his field goals and 36 percent of his 3-point shots.

No one seems to be talking about his sidewinder shot now.

He’s also averaging 1.9 steals per game, which would put him sixth overall in the entire league. His defense has been a pleasant surprise because several scouts thought he would struggle on the defensive end.

We shouldn’t knock Lonzo because he’s different. Everything about him is not the norm these days. His shot is a little off. He’s a bit distant and guarded. He’s not the classic AAU product. We should embrace all his uniqueness.

It’s already well documented and heavily dissected that Lonzo’s shot is a work in progress. That’s a given. But instead of focusing on the left side of the box score, we should start looking at the right side of the box score. Lonzo fills up the stat sheet. He’s a true point guard. He’s not a shooting guard masking as a point guard like Curry, Russell Westbrook, or James Harden. He’s a throwback to when point guards initiate the offense and not hijack the offense.

After missing the last six weeks because of a sprained knee, Ball returned to action and his shot looks even better. He was perfect against the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 26, making all four his field goals, all three of his 3-point shots, and both of his free throws.

The Lakers are on a roll of late. At 26-34, they’ve already surpassed last season’s win total and are poised to make a run at the final playoff spot if things break their way in these last 22 games. The Lakers are eighth in scoring and among the leaders in pace. If you put the blame on Lonzo for the Lakers’ early season woes, you have to give him credit for creating a style of play that is fun to watch. The ball hops around and usually finds the open guy. When Ball plays pick-and-roll, he makes the right decision 90 percent of the time.

When ESPN writer Ramona Shelburne asked Magic if he has any regrets drafting Lonzo Ball, he said “no, not for one minute.”

“He’s everything we thought he would be and more,” Magic said.

Magic Johnson views Lonzo Ball as the main piece in the Lakers’ rebuilding plan. (AP)

Magic Johnson admitted that 19-year-old Lonzo Ball needed to win him over during the NBA draft process. Even though Johnson and the rest of the Lakers brass had their eye on the former UCLA All-American guard they needed more validation.

Their first meeting didn’t quite live up to Johnson’s expectations. The second meeting in Chino Hills, however, was a game-changer. After visiting with the Ball family in their Southern California home, the L.A. Lakers legend was finally convinced Lonzo can be the point guard to lift the Lakers out of their funk and challenge the heavily favored Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are in the midst of the worst stretch in franchise history, posting an abysmal 91-237 record the last four seasons and landing in the top three of the draft lottery three straight years. Lakers Nation is so desperate for a winner it is willing to absorb all the blowouts and embarrassing losses the last four years just to land a superstar.

Enter Lonzo Ball.

“We knew he was special. What we were lacking was a leader,” Johnson said during ESPN’s summer league broadcast. “We traded a very good point guard in D’Angelo Russell. [D’Angelo] has the potential to be very special. But we needed a leader. We didn’t need a scoring point guard. We needed somebody who can get everybody involved.”

A day after selecting Ball with the No. 2 pick in the draft, the Lakers held a press conference to introduce their newest headliner. Magic, who was named the Lakers’ president of basketball operations back in February, pointed to a wall inside the Lakers practice facility where all the retired Lakers jerseys hung. He told Ball he expects his jersey No. 2 to be hanging up there some day. Talk about putting pressure on a guy who is just two years removed from high school.

Ball is facing sky-high expectations. He’ll play a huge part in Johnson’s grand plan to rebuild the Lakers brand and make them relevant again. Ball won a state title in high school and took UCLA to the Sweet 16 in his one-and-done season. He’s a winner, and the Lakers are hoping that winning touch and unselfish mentality can carry over to the pro level.

“There is a lot of expectations,” Johnson said of his new prodigy. “Everybody wants him to be great. We want him to be great. But it’s gonna take time. He’s at the most difficult position in basketball. The point guard position. There are so many great point guards in our league, so he’s gonna have his hands full every single night.”

It didn’t take long before Ball found out just how bright the spotlight can be as the new leader of the Lake Show.

Ball struggled during his Lakers debut before a sold-out Thomas & Mack Center in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. He went 2-for-15 from the field and 1-for-11 from 3-point range. His very outspoken dad, LaVar, called it the “worst game” of his son’s young career. Naturally, Ball was roasted on social media. The “haters” came out in droves. But Lonzo took all the criticism in stride and vowed to play better. And he did. In his second summer league game before another jam-packed crowd, Ball posted a triple-double. He scored 11 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists against the Boston Celtics.  He showed flashes of why he was college basketball’s best passer. There was a buzz in the arena with every shot, with every drive, with every no-look pass, and even with every miss. Lonzo played with pace and poise, two important skills that’ll come in handy when he’s running with the Laker regulars in three months.

Magic wasn’t too concerned when Lonzo struggled in his pro debut. He understands that it’ll take time before Ball can get comfortable being the maestro of Showtime 2.0.

“What I try to do now is sit down and talk basketball with him,” Magic said. “I said, ‘Look, just take your time. There’s a learning curve. Through the good times, through the bad times I’m gonna be with you. The whole organization is gonna be with you. And you don’t have to tear the league up right away because you’re not. Just be patient and let it just flow and let it happen. You got some other good young basketball players on our team and you gonna set them up to be successful. That’s really your job. Just run the show, make the good read, make the good pass.’ ”

And if there was any hint of an issue with Lonzo’s omnipresent, controversial father, Magic cleared that up real fast when he spoke to LaVar prior to the draft.

“I wanted to talk to LaVar man to man. What I saw was a proud father. He has done an excellent job of coaching [his sons],” Magic said. “Then I saw him working with the community kids. Forget all the trash talking. He’s just marketing himself, his sons, Big Baller Brand. And that’s OK. But he knows his son is a pro now and he gotta back up.”

Lonzo Ball could be the star the Lakers need to rebuild their brand. (Getty Images)

The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers are the two most storied franchises in the NBA. These two teams have a combined 33 championships and dozens of Hall of Famers. Now, they are in a rare position of drafting No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the 2017 NBA draft.

Boston is coming of a season in which it finished first in the Eastern Conference and reached the conference finals before losing to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The Celtics are in need of frontcourt help, but they could bolster their talented backcourt with another playmaker. The Lakers are in the midst of their worst four-year run and coming off a 26-win season. L.A. has already gone through a major shakeup in the front office as Hall of Famer Magic Johnson takes over the reigns as head of basketball operations and added Kobe Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, as the team’s general manager. The Lakers badly need a leader and face of the franchise, and they could pick one up in this year’s talent-rich draft.

OneManFastBreak.net ranks the eight best players in the 2017 draft:

LONZO BALL
Guard (6-6, 190)
NBA comparison: Jason Kidd
Scouting report: Lonzo Ball may wear No. 2 but he’s by far the No. 1 player in the draft. Thanks to his very opinionated father, Lonzo, 19, is the most highly publicized prospect in the draft. Whether he likes it or not, Lonzo is under a brighter light that any incoming NBA player but he seems to be unfazed by all the extra attention. Ball’s strengths far outweigh his weaknesses. Unlike the new breed of superstar point guards today like Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving, Lonzo is a pure point guard. The Chino Hills (Calif.) native almost a throwback from the days when point guards were not the leading scorers. Ball led the NCAA in assists (7.6) in his one-and-done year in college, and he led UCLA to 31 wins and a berth in the Sweet 16. About the only knock on Ball — outside of daddy’s bombastic approach — is his unorthodox shot. But most teams say it’s not too big of a concern as long as it goes in. Contrary to popular belief, Ball is a very capable defender who rises to the challenge. Look at video from his matchups against Arizona’s Allonzo Trier and Oregon’s Dillon Brooks. Prior to Ball’s arrival in Westwood, the Bruins were 15-17 and missed the NCAA tournament. Ball not only changed the culture at UCLA but he also upgraded its style of play. Ball helped orchestrate the most explosive offense in college basketball, a fast-pace style reminiscent of the Showtime Lakers in the 1980s led by Magic Johnson. Ball is a special player with a unique skillset. It would be extremely hard for Magic and Pelinka to pass up on a local kid with star potential. If he comes close to living up to the hype his father, LaVar, has been preaching for months then Showtime is about to be unleashed at Staples Center.

JAYSON TATUM
Forward (6-8, 205)
NBA comparison: Rudy Gay
Scouting report: The 19-year-old Duke product could be the most versatile player in the draft. He can play all five positions, and handles the ball well for his size. He’s a natural small forward but can play power forward when teams downsize. He stands 6-8 but has an impressive 6-11 wingspan. Some scouts already view Tatum as a finished product. He may not be an explosive athlete, but he’s a smooth player who rarely plays out of control and has an array of offensive moves when isolated at the elbow. He only shot 36 percent from behind the 3-point arc, but with practice he could develop into a good long-range shooter because his form is exceptional. He has an advanced midrange game to go along with his ability to finish at the rim. Tatum’s draft stock soared when Duke made it’s incredible run during the ACC tournament. Tatum was a major force in the tournament, showing scouts what he’s capable of in the clutch when he took over the final two minutes of the ACC title game by having a hand in Duke’s final 10 points. The one knock on Tatum is his defense. He may struggle defending power forwards and quicker small forwards.

DE’AARON FOX
Guard (6-3, 171)
NBA comparison: Mike Conley
Scouting report: No college team pumps out more NBA-ready guards than Kentucky, and De’Aaron Fox is the latest in a long line of former Wildcats joining the Association. Kentucky coach John Calipari said the 19-year-old Fox “is going to be great at the next level.” Calipari added: “De’Aaron’s speed, length and ability to pick up defensively from 94 feet set him apart from his peers.” Fox is an ultra-quick guard who belies his wiry frame. He has John Wall-type end-to-end quickness that most NBA teams covet. He may not have a deep range on his 3-ball, but he can get to the cup almost at will and able to finish or draw fouls. He may not be John Wall yet but he’s comparable to another speedy lefty guard: Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley. Conley’s jumpshot is nowhere near where it is now compared to when he first entered the league, so Fox could use Conley as a barometer. Fox’s draft stock rose when he outplayed Lonzo Ball in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tourney. Fox scored 39 points and he looked like the best player on a court filled with pro prospects. The biggest knock on Fox, aside from his poor shooting range, is his recklessness. He tends to play at one speed and can get into trouble when he over dribbles. But most league execs will put up with his lack of discipline because you can’t teach speed.

LAURI MARKKANEN
Forward-Center (7-0, 225)
NBA comparison: Nikola Mirotic
Scouting report: The Arizona forward is very intriguing. Markkanen didn’t dominate the Pac-12 conference but scouts love his game. The big man from Finland has — dare we say — Dirk Nowitzki-type talent. He is the ideal stretch 4. Markkanen averaged 15 points per game and shot 42 percent from 3-point range in his lone season for Sean Miller’s Wildcats. He may not turn out to be Dirk but he could be a really good NBA forward with great potential. Markkanen is a pure shooter who can play power forward or center. Markkanen is a great fit in today’s NBA in which big man are now asked to float around the perimeter to space the floor and allow more dribble penetration by the guards. “For him not to be considered as one of the best freshmen in college basketball is a complete joke,” Miller said. “I will put him up against anybody, not just freshmen, toe-to-toe the quality of player he is. I don’t care if you’re from Russia, China, Finland, Japan, North Dakota, Florida, or New York City. If you have eyes and have seen Arizona play, there aren’t many players that play the way he plays.” We couldn’t have said it better. Whomever drafts Markkanen won’t be disappointed.

BAM ADEBAYO
Guard (6-9, 250)
NBA comparison: Julius Randle
Scouting report: Bam Adebayo was overshadowed by his more celebrated teammates De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk for much of the season, but don’t let his numbers fool you. He won’t wow you with statistics — he averaged 13 points and eight rebounds in his lone season at Kentucky — but he’ll wow you with his effort and energy. He’s got tremendous quickness for a player his size and has great determination on both ends. He’s at his best when he’s setting screens near the top of the circle and diving to the basket. And he can really finish strong at the rim. He handles the ball well for a big man, and can be a frontcourt playmaker at the next level. But what Adebayo does best is defend. Wildcats coach John Calipari said Adebayo is capable of guarding all five positions on the court. Kentucky has had a great run of big men during the Calipari era, from DeMarcus Cousins to Anthony Davis to Karl-Anthony Towns. Adebayo may not have the collegiate credentials as Cousins, Davis and Towns, but he has the potential to be a very good pro.

MARKELLE FULTZ
Guard (6-4, 190)
NBA comparison: Jrue Holiday
Scouting report: Fultz, 19, is the consensus No. 1 pick in almost all of the mock draft boards, but OMFB has some concerns about his one season at Washington. Sure, he put up gaudy numbers (23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.9 assists), but the Huskies won just nine games and lost 22. That is a serious red flag. If the former DeMatha High School (Md.) standout is a can’t-miss prospect who could be the face of an NBA franchise, then why did his college team had such awful record and did even make the NCAA tourney? That is a question NBA general managers must ask when evaluating Fultz. The measurables are there. He’s got great size and strength for a playmaking guard, and has all the skills to be a dynamic scorer in the NBA. He has a ridiculous 6-9 wingspan, which helps him finish at the rim. He’s quick enough to get by most defenders and has enough range to shoot threes. He already has a Euro step to go along with his mid-range game. In his lone matchup with Lonzo Ball in the Pac-12, he scored 25 points on 9-of-19 shots from the field, grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists, and knocked down five 3-pointers. But Washington got destroyed 107-66 in Seattle. Ball had 22 points with six rebounds and five assists. A statistically draw between Fultz and Ball, but Lonzo’s team came away with a blowout win.

JOSH JACKSON
Forward (6-8, 203)
NBA comparison: Andre Iguodala
Scouting report: The 20-year-old Kansas forward is an explosive, quick-twitch athlete who could become a solid two-way player in the NBA and most likely the next slam dunk champion. He has the size and quickness to matchup with any position except center. Jackson’s high motor and competitiveness are his greatest strengths, and has the potential to be an elite defender. He can play straight-up man and plays the passing lanes extremely well. Offensively, Jackson is somewhat of a mixed bag. He struggled early on before correcting his shooting woes during the latter part of the college season. He finished with a decent field-goal percentage (51 percent) and averaged 16 points per game. But one glaring stat on Jackson’s stat sheet is his free throws. He shot a mind-boggling 56 percent from the line, which leads many scouts to question his ability to knock down open jumpers on a consistent basis. Some draft boards have Jackson as high as No. 2 to the Lakers. But that’s a bit of a reach considering Jackson’s skillset is not truly off the charts. He’s a good athlete who could become a solid NBA starter, especially if he improves his outside shot.

JUSTIN JACKSON
Guard-Forward (6-8, 193)
NBA comparison: Nicolas Batum
Scouting report: When 22-year-old Jackson tested the NBA waters last spring, evaluators said he needed to improve his shot. He was a good player, but he needed to become a better threat from beyond the arc. So Jackson went back to UNC to work on his shot. The extra work paid off as he turned into a more than capable outside shooter on a national championship squad. Jackson made over a 100 threes during his junior season. He made just 63 total in his first two seasons at Chapel Hill. He averaged 18.4 points per game and also did great work on the defensive end. Jackson could end up playing the 2 or 3 spots at the next level. What may set him apart from the other prospects is his college resume. He’s a flat-out winner. Jackson came within one miracle 3-pointer by Villanova’s Kris Jenkins from winning back-to-back NCAA championships.