Few players in the NBA this season have been as analyzed and criticized as much as Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball. The UCLA product had a target on his back before he even played his first game in the NBA and although he has yet to live up to expectations on a consistent basis, head coach Luke Walton continues to support his starting point guard.
Before embarking on a four-game road trip, Walton spoke about his rookie point guard after practice on Tuesday.
“He's probably where most rookies are,” Walton on where Ball is mentally. “You have great games. You have some subpar games and then you have some average games. I think for the position that he's playing as a 20-year-old point guard rookie in the NBA, he's doing a much better job than I think most players could do and that's going back the last 10 years or whatever you want to call it.
“I think he's got a lot of off-the-court stuff that most rookies don't have to worry about and he's starting as the point guard of the L.A. Lakers. There's not a harder position to learn in this league. There's not a harder position to play. It's got the most responsibility, and I think he's doing a very good job of handling that.”
Ball is only 23 games into his rookie season with the Lakers. There's a lot more basketball to be played in his first year, and the criticism will continue to pour in if he can't turn things around in the shooting department.
The 20-year-old is currently averaging 8.7 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game. Although those are decent numbers for a rookie point guard, his shooting percentage has left a lot to be desired at 31.3 from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range, and 50 percent from the free-throw line.
Those percentages aren't going to intimidate any opponents as the Lakers press on in the 2017-18 campaign, but if he can improve in that area while becoming a threat shooting the basketball, the sky is the limit for the talented floor general.
Follow Us
Subscribe