Williams: Lakers' Ball has turned into defensive dynamo

When the Los Angeles Lakers drafted second-year player Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, it's less than likely their thought process was the All-American one-and-doner would be their best defensive player -- having played less than 82 games.

But that's exactly what has happened.

The original plan for Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka was to usher in the new Showtime era with a dynamic point guard who reminded Johnson of himself. That player was Ball, who had visions of mixing the Ball Era he's been breadth with, along with Johnson's vision.

The idea of long passes, uptempo NASCAR-speed transition offense and ball movements so quick viewers would be scared to blink is what Ball would bring -- and he did -- for a short while a season ago.

Now, plans have taken a slight detour with the arrival of LeBron James, who slowed down the pace slightly from the NASCAR dream pace, to around the INDY 500.

While the stats may not back that up as the Lakers' pace for the 2017-18 was 100.97 compared to 103.82 so far this year -- the eye test clearly shows the tempo is slower than it was just a year ago.

With that said, Ball has carried his stellar defensive play from last season over to this year, when he has acted as a disruptor in all facets on the defensive side of the ball.

Take a look at this defensive possession where Lonzo guarded everyone on the court -- literally.

While this particular play may not show up in the analytics, Ball time and time again displays the defensive acumen both on the ball and off-ball that makes this Lakers team better overall. As it stands, the Lakers rank in the Top 10 in defensive rating, which they have not been since the 2010-11 season.

As he continues to learn a new role and play alongside arguably the best player in the league, Johnson's vision for Ball will likely come to fruition soon.

His defense, though, appears to be a mainstay for years to come. And while Johnson didn't foresee this, the stars aligned perfectly again for his rebuild.