It has been a lethargic start to the NBA career of Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball. Although Ball has actually played some solid basketball, his shooting woes continue to plague him a quarter of the way into the 2017-18 NBA season.
As a result, he has received scathing criticism from nearly all angles, except his peers. Among those to cut Ball some slack are Golden State Warriors superstars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. According to Melissa Rohlin of the Bay Area News Group, Durant echoed Curry's sentiment toward the Lakers rookie.
“Lonzo is just playing like a rookie…What is he 19? That's what any 19 year old would go through in the pros.”
Durant added that the pressure of playing under the microscope for a franchise like the Lakers helps fuel those criticisms.
“It's just a matter of him being in LA, so much odds and scrutiny on him. He's playing like he should be as far as learning the game and adjusting.”
There is certainly some truth to what Kevin Durant is saying. Lonzo Ball has been tasked by the front office pairing of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka with leading this storied franchise back to championship contention. LaVar Ball's bold claims over the offseason were just the cherry on top of the hype machine.
Aside from Ball's shooting struggles, he has done exactly what the Lakers brought him in to do as the rookie currently ranks fifth in the league in total assists (142). Ball is hoping to flaunt that playmaking prowess in his upcoming matchup versus the Warriors.
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