Lakers Summer League: Lonzo Ball bounces back with triple double
By Keith Rivas
The latest news about Lakers Summer League looks at the triple double by Lonzo Ball.
Everyone thought that on the first night of Lakers Summer League that point guard Lonzo Ball would tear it up. Instead, his debut was the exact opposite, and gave some fans room for concern. Even Magic Johnson looked distressed on the sideline during the game.
But then, a bounce back opportunity came against the Boston Celtics. Fellow rookie Jayson Tatum has been lighting it up in the Summer League, but that wasn’t going to stop Lonzo Ball this time.
It’s the two new faces that will carry the torch in the LA-Boston rivalry. And if the games are anything like we saw this summer, we are all in for a real treat.
The biggest takeaway from the game, even though the Lakers dropped another one, was Lonzo Ball’s triple double. Eleven points, eleven boards, and eleven assists got the crowd going and back on their feet in Las Vegas.
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Los Angeles needs those kinds of numbers to get back to the playoffs. LaVar Ball was right about something after his son’s atrocious debut. He wasn’t going to let it get to him and there wasn’t anything that would get in his way the next time he stepped on the floor.
And as much as most people don’t like him, he may be onto something.
One of the other crazy factors about this game was that his triple double came without Brandon Ingram. The former Duke star was the second overall pick by the Lakers before Ball. He’s expected to be a breakout season and is a player Magic Johnson sees as irreplaceable.
Unfortunately, he’ll be kept out of the rest of Summer League with cramps. The Lakers are taking no risks when it comes to one of their future stars, and they’d rather wait for games that count in the standings.
Not far away is Lonzo’s next test. He’ll have to go toe to toe with De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings. Ball and Fox split wins in the two times they competed in college.
UCLA won the regular season meeting, but Kentucky eliminated the Bruins in March Madness. There were Lakers fans out there calling for Fox to be the guy in this draft, but instead he went to Sacramento.
That scenario might actually be what’s best for the Lakers in the long run. It keeps the competitive spirit of the team high and gives us something great to watch in terms of a rivalry outside of Steph Curry and the Warriors.
Next: Predicting The First Four Years Of Lonzo Ball
Golden State is in a position to keep dominating for a while, so this is a good time for the Lakers to apply any sort of learning curve. If Lonzo Ball excels against Sacramento, then we’ll know not to worry too much.