3 takeaways from Lonzo's shaky summer league debut
The Lonzo Ball era is finally here after months of endless hype.
The No. 2 pick of the Los Angeles Lakers made his professional debut at the Las Vegas summer league on Friday and showed both flashes of brilliance and some embarrassing lapses.
He finished with five points, four rebounds, five assists, and two steals in 32 minutes of play as the Lakers lost 96-93 to the Clippers.
Here are three takeaways from Ball's first taste of NBA action.
Strong court vision
Given the inexperience and the lack of stakes involved, it's rare to see anyone play a team game in summer league. Most players are out for themselves to win more minutes as the big fish in a little pond.
Ball played a decidedly team game. He was not only a creative passer, but a very willing distributor that never held the ball too long. Ball was at his best pushing the ball in transition, springing his teammates for easy scoring opportunities on the fast break just as he did in UCLA.
On the very first possession of the game, Ball served a cutting Brandon Ingram with a perfect alley-oop pass that brought the Thomas & Mack Center to its feet. That set the tone for the rest of the night.
Ball got by on instinct. He swung the ball to keep the offense going, he provided timely help defense, and he battled on the glass. The pro-Lakers crowd badly wanted him to take over, but Ball stubbornly stayed within himself and mostly stuck to making the right play.
Awkward jumper
But there might be another explanation for Ball's tentativeness: His shot really wasn't falling.
Ball was a prolific shooter in college, but the huge hitch in his jumper was a major point of concern. He struggled to generate enough room to launch off the dribble, and Ball eventually resorted to taking longer and longer shots to compensate with little success.
The 19-year-old shot 1-of-11 from deep, with the lone make coming after his defender sagged off and dared him to shoot. Ball's misses were often erratic, as he drew air early in the game, then clanged back-iron in overtime.
The bigger concern was Ball's inconsistent finishing at the basket. He mostly drove to pass and looked shy of contact. Again, this is perplexing since he was a tremendous finisher in college.
He finished the night shooting 2-of-15 from the floor and missed two crucial looks in overtime that could have swung the game.
Lonzo brings a crowd
Any game involving Ball is going to be a big deal. The arena was packed with Lakers fans who made the short trek to Nevada.
Also in attendance were father LaVar and brother LaMelo, along with a host of other NBA stars, including Isaiah Thomas, DeMar DeRozan, Markelle Fultz, and strangely enough, a hooded D'Angelo Russell peeping on his old team. Lonzo got a huge ovation when he was introduced, and the crowd stirred each time he touched the rock. The atmosphere was electric.
Everyone wanted a look, and unfortunately for Lonzo, they mostly saw a letdown. They saw Ingram steal the show and the Clippers emerge victorious.
Maybe all the pressure got to him, but the steel-faced rookie should only expect more of the same. Summer league in the desert is merely a test run - the real thing will be much, much harder.