Through the first several games of the 2017 Las Vegas Summer League, Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has continued to impress many in and around the league with his passing ability.
The latest to voice much praise toward the second overall pick in this year's draft is Lakers' Summer League head coach Jud Buechler, who recently placed a tremendous level of confidence in Ball's ability, according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical.
Article Continues BelowThere’s so much to like about Ball’s game. The passing stands out. “He’s already one of the best passers I’ve seen at this level,” Lakers summer-league coach Jud Buechler said. High praise? Yes. True? Probably. Ball plays with his head on a swivel and sees the floor in a way you can’t teach.
“It’s probably 90 percent his talent and 10 percent guys just knowing that if they get on the wings, they’re going to get easy layups,” Buechler said. “He’s just incredible at getting that ball and pushing it. We want him to set the pace for our team, set the pace for the game. Get out, run for layups, get easy baskets.”
Following his shaky performance in the opening game of the Summer League, Ball has looked more comfortable on the floor with each passing game. He is currently averaging a near triple-double over the last three games with 21.0 points, 11.3 assists, and 9.7 rebounds. This includes notching more than 10 assists in each contest while recording a pair of triple-doubles.
Ball has continued to perform at a high level on the court by making multiple passes in each that have fueled the growing praise toward his play on the court. His passes have hit his teammate in stride to the basketball from all spots on the floor, especially in transition where he has shown to be highly effective.
The 19-year-old has shown to be worth the hype so far in the Summer League, but it will be interesting to see if that can translate over to the regular season where he will face increased competition nightly that will test the true ability of his passing skills.