Count Steph Curry and Kevin Durant among those who are fans of Lonzo Ball. The Warriors’ pair of former MVPs will face off against the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft on Wednesday night, as Golden State heads to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers.
Before the game tips off, the two stars wanted to preach patience with Ball, who has come under criticism for a slow start to his NBA career, particularly with his shooting. The Warriors met with the media after practice on Tuesday afternoon, and Curry wanted to point out that his time in the NBA didn’t get off to the best start, either.
Steph Curry on facing Lonzo Ball for the first time, people trying to change his shot and whether the LaVar comments last year are extra motivation ("No. More comic relief.") pic.twitter.com/CY9RkHRAAs
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2017
“He’s a rookie. He’s going through the ups and downs every rookie has, whether you’re highly touted or not,” Curry said. “It’s all a learning experience, trying to find your way and be comfortable. My perception is he’s working through that. I’ve always said he’s a great talent, I think he loves to play basketball, so he’ll be able to fight through all that and have a great career. I hope you didn’t judge me off my first 20 games in the league either.”
Durant, meanwhile, has a theory as to why Ball’s struggles are in the spotlight, and surprisingly, they have nothing to do with the proclamations of his father.
Kevin Durant on the young Lakers and Lonzo Ball, who the Warriors will face for the first time tomorrow pic.twitter.com/i67fmeukf1
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 28, 2017
“Lonzo is just playing like a rookie,” Durant said. “As far as learning the game, finding the ins and outs of the game. It’s slowing down for him, picking and choosing his spots. He’s still figuring it out. What’s he, 19? That’s what any 19-year-old would go through in the pros. It’s just a matter of him being in L.A., so much eyes and scrutiny on him. He’s playing like he should play as far as learning the game and adjusting on the fly.”
Both Curry and Durant think that Ball will eventually take a big step forward — Curry is “pretty sure he’ll figure out” how to make his jumper work in the league, while Durant said Ball “is just playing like a rookie” and that the game is “slowing down for him.”
Ball has found other ways to contribute than scoring — he’s seventh in the league in assists per game (7.1) and 35th in rebounds per game (7.3) — but his ability to get buckets just has not translated to the NBA at all. It remains to be seen if he’ll ever figure it all out and become a dangerous shooter/scorer in the league, but two of the best basketball players in the world have faith.
