As the Los Angeles Lakers play their season opener on Thursday against the L.A. Clippers, fans all over the world will finally get to see Lonzo Ball play his first official game in the NBA. With all the hype that surrounded him even before he declared for the draft, his debut is definitely one of the most anticipated in recent memory, as many are curious if he can live up to expectations at the highest level.
Luke Walton understands the situation, and even admitted that he knows their opponents will go at him immediately. He also added, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, that it could be something good for the rookie, as he could learn from it, and expect that kind of action for the rest of the season.
“They are going to come after him, it's what people in this league do.” Walton said. “They come after young players, and when there's young players with a lot of media and hype around them, they really come after them. They want to set a tone and he will see it all year long. I think [Lonzo] knows that and he will be expecting it and as the season goes, he will learn from it and learn how best to handle and succeed with it.”
Like most rookies, the former UCLA star is being given a learning curve by the second year head coach. However, with how highly he thinks of him, he is not worried about him failing, and believes he will fare well in his first season as a pro.
“Obviously, it is going to be a big learning curve — he has never played in this type of game before where the guards and the players are this good and this strong and he is going against grown men, a team full of them,” Walton said Wednesday. “I think he will be fine. I think he will rise to the challenge like he has his whole life.”
Since being awarded the MVP Award in the Summer League, Ball has only seen action in two preseason games due to a sprained ankle. The team’s fans have not seen a lot of him on the court, which further adds to the hype on him entering his first regular season game. With the impressive performances he put up during the offseason, the Los Angeles faithful are looking forward to more of those this year, and are hoping he can help the Lakers make a lot of noise in the Western Conference.
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