Lakers News: Latest Buzz on Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and More
Lonzo Ball is one of the biggest names in the NBA right now for two reasons: He can flat out play and, of course, his father, LaVar, has promoted him and his Big Baller Brand at every opportunity.
In his many interviews before and after Lonzo was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the No. 2 overall pick, LaVar has had no problem showing a little hubris, which makes others assume that his son is a chip off the old block.
But Andrew Bogut is learning that Lonzo is nothing like he expected.
"All the hype with what his dad has done with the brand means people want to knock him down," Bogut said of his new Lakers point guard, per the Sydney Morning Herald's Roy Ward. "People love it, people hate it. Fortunately that reflects on Lonzo as well but he is the complete opposite to what I thought."
With LaVar picking fights and making bold claims that seem to defy reality, Bogut, like a lot of people, naturally assumed Lonzo would lean toward being a blowhard and have the same inflated ego.
Not the case, according to the seven-footer.
"He is softly spoken, has a good sense of humour and doesn't say a lot," Bogut said. "Nobody has had any issues with him. People's true colours come out as the season goes on but I don't think he is like anything that has been reported."
Bogut feels as though he can relate to Lonzo's "image" because he himself has had his reputation "falsely built" by the media.
"The media, fans or blogs paint someone in a certain light and that's that," Bogut said. "We have learnt that though sport, politics and whatever, that just because it is written about you doesn't mean it is true. Obviously, he gets a lot of grief for what his dad does with their brand but it's just a dad supporting his son you know. There is a lot of people out there who would love to have that support from their parents.
"You can't knock it."
Walton Wants Ingram to "Enjoy the Process" of Second Season
Brandon Ingram has not been happy with his play, especially during Summer League.
"Offensively it’s not going so well at all," Ingram said, per Lakers.com's Joey Ramirez.
Ingram's frustration has taken away from his ability to just enjoy himself out there on the court.
"Magic told me last night [that] he hasn’t seen me have fun yet," Ingram said. "I’m just trying to go out there, relax a little bit and just play my game."
Although Ingram has had some trouble finding his footing in the preseason, he broke out for a great game in Friday's preseason finale.
After averaging only 9.3 points and 1.3 assists on just 31.7 percent shooting, he put up 15 points and dished out five assists to lift the Lakers past the LA Clippers.
It was a bright spot for the struggling Ingram, but head coach Luke Walton wants to make sure the second-year forward finds a way to "enjoy the process" of growing as a player, per Ramirez, instead of putting too much stock in any one game or expecting to be great right away.
"For all players the stress and pressure is going to add up and sometimes get in the way," Walton said. "For Brandon I think there’s a lot of expectation on him, and a lot of people forget he’s 20 years old going into his second year in the NBA.
"When you look back in history, not many people all of a sudden bloom into all-stars in their second year. I try to remind him that it’s a long career he’s going to have. Just keep working the way he does and focus on the fundamentals and the details of the game."
Brook Lopez Thinks He and Larry Nance Jr. Make for Great Frontcourt
Like every other team in the league, the Lakers have a decision to make regarding their starting lineup.
Ball, Ingram, Brook Lopez and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are virtual locks as starters, but the power forward slot is still up for grabs.
Larry Nance Jr., rookie Kyle Kuzma and Julius Randle, who started in all but one of his games last season, are all vying for the nod.
According to Walton, Kuzma's chances of starting are only 10 percent, so that leaves Nance and Randle.
The high-flying Nance played well as the starter alongside Lopez for the team's last three preseason games, and Lopez believes they would make a good pairing based on what he saw.
"I think we definitely contrast each other very well," Lopez said, per Lakers.com's Ramirez. "A lot of the differences that make us good individual players make us an even better tandem."
Despite Lopez's evaluation, Randle has outplayed Nance on the stat sheet. But that has come as a result of playing with the second unit, which bodes well for Nance's chances at filling that last spot in the starting lineup.
