LeBron James on Lonzo Ball: Lakers Star Likely Will Be a 'Great Point Guard'
LeBron James believes Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has a bright future in the NBA.
“I think he’s going to be a really good point guard in our league, probably a great point guard," he told reporters. "If he continues to work on his craft, which it seems like he does ... [the Lakers] got a good one."
You can see his full comments below.
Ball, 20, has had his share of struggles since being the No. 2 overall pick for the Lakers in the 2017 NBA draft, averaging 9.7 points, 7.4 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game.
His primary issues have come shooting the ball—he's shooting 31.4 percent from the field and 25 percent from beyond the arc—and on the defensive end. He's showcased the playmaking and vision that made him one of the most intriguing rookies in an incredibly strong draft class, however.
He's also shown flashes of greatness. He put 29 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists on the board against the Phoenix Suns in his fourth career game and on Saturday became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double with 19 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks.
"Ball can play, and he is going to make his teammates and team better," former NBA point guard and Bucks head coach Jason Kidd said after the performance, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com. "Triple-double, that is going to be the norm for him. He is going to fill up the stat sheets. But we just got to give him time. We are trying to put him in a microwave and speed him up. He is going to make mistakes and he is going to have bad nights, but he competes and he is going to find a way to win."
Having current and former superstars in your corner is a good start for Ball.
