Lonzo Ball has laid the first goose egg of his young career.
The Los Angeles Lakers rookie registered zero points on 0-of-2 shooting from the field in the 113-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
"Definitely could have been more aggressive," he admitted postgame, as quoted by ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I was coming off, (Portland's) big man was sagging so Brook (Lopez) was open."
In lieu of points, Ball posted four dimes, three rebounds, two blocks, and a steal in 28 minutes. The 20-year-old, who became the only starting point guard this season who's failed to score in 25-plus minutes of play, said he has to create shots for himself, and actually take them when he's open.
Head coach Luke Walton agreed that reminder would be helpful, given what transpired in the contest, which saw Ball's counterpart Damian Lillard notch 32 points, including the game-winner.
"I thought he was a little too passive tonight," Walton said of the No. 2 pick. "I think that'll continue to be ... the hardest thing for young players is the consistency when you just play so many games. He's so unselfish. We want him to be more aggressive with attacking the defenses."
Though the sample size is small, the Lakers are clearly better when Ball's more aggressive on offense and pushes the pace. He averages 16 points and 7.3 assists in Los Angeles' three victories, versus just five points and 6.2 assists in five losses.
