Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Remains Starting PG, Luke Walton Talks Rookie's Mood

As Lonzo Ball continues to work through his struggles this season, the Los Angeles Lakers don't intend to bring him off the bench.

Per Ryan Ward of Clutch Points, Lakers head coach Luke Walton said there have been "no talks right now" about Ball being taken out of the starting lineup. 

Walton added Ball was "not the same playful, joyful Lonzo he normally is" at practice on Thursday, via Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times. 

Walton's comments come after Ball scored two points on 1-of-9 shooting with five rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes in the Lakers' 115-109 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. 

When the Lakers took Ball second overall in June's draft, it was assumed he would be an instant star who led them back to prominence in the Western Conference. 

Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson told reporters at Ball's introductory press conference he expected the 20-year-old to have his jersey hanging in the rafters at Staples Center one day among other franchise legends like Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West. 

Ball's 30.3 shooting percentage ranks 392nd out of 439 players who have appeared in a game this season. He's been effective in other ways with 6.9 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game but has yet to find a consistent rhythm with his shot to become the player Los Angeles needs him to be.