Lonzo Ball‘s rookie year has not gone according to plan. Well, that’s not necessarily true — he’s looked like a rookie who is still trying to find his footing in the league, which is normal, but Ball came into the league with as much hype as we’ve seen for a rookie in some time.
Ball has had a couple of good games, but for the most part, he looks like someone who just turned 20 and is trying to play a sport professionally in the most competitive league in the world. It’s understandable, even if it’s not exactly what a team would like to see out of the No. 2 pick in a draft.
Arguably Ball’s biggest issue has been his jumper, which was expected to be one of his strengths but has been a weakness due to his uniquely low release. Lakers coach Luke Walton has even said that he thinks things like Ball’s 23 percent clip from downtown is hurting him.
His struggles are even getting attention when the Lakers aren’t playing. During Thursday’s thriller between the Celtics and Warriors, Golden State’s announce team had some fun at Ball’s expense.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BblDjN1HUt3/
Now, I did not watch every possession of Lakers-Sixers, but I will wager that Ball did not have about eight wedgies in the game. Unless, of course, they are saying that Ball had a whole lot of shots that were off-target. Seeing as how he went 1-for-9 from the field and 0-for-6 from three on the evening, this is a fair statement.
