30 biggest questions for the 2017-18 NBA season

24. Who will have a better season: Lonzo Ball or D’Angelo Russell?

I’m probably the only person who cares about this and that’s fine. I’m still a believer in D’Angelo Russell. His growth was stunted in his rookie season by cell phones and Kobe Bryant. He looked better last season in a new offense with not so great players. Now, he’s in Brooklyn, with a new offense and not so great players.

Meanwhile, the guy he was essentially traded for, Lonzo Ball, takes over his role in Los Angeles. Ball is a better playmaker and the Lakers offense should run better with him at the helm.

On paper, the Lakers should be better. They’re in a tougher conference, but they have a better roster.

It might be tough to quantify who will have a better season. I expect Russell to end up with more points, Ball to end up with more assists, and neither team to end up with many wins. Those who are on Russell’s side will point to the poor roster and his scoring ability to claim he’s better. And the Big Ballers on the other side will claim that D’Angelo Russell doesn’t even play basketball, he’s the cornerback for the Miami Dolphins so why are we talking about him and not Lonzo?

Here’s how we determine who has a better season: head-to-head. The Nets and Lakers play each other twice this season. The winner of those games determines the entire season for Russell and Ball. If they end up 1-1, it means they are the exact same player and Magic Johnson didn’t make a trade. He just cloned D’Angelo Russell and stuck him with a pro wrestling manager.