Lakers News: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry Comment on Lonzo Ball's Performance

The Golden State Warriors aren't likely to show rookie Lonzo Ball and the Los Angeles Lakers any mercy on the court when the two teams meet in Los Angeles Wednesday night.

Off the court, however, Warriors' superstars Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry are showing sympathy toward Ball, who has faced intense criticism for his poor shooting and some lackluster performances to start his NBA career. 

Through 20 games, Ball is averaging 8.7 points, 7.1 assists and 7.3 rebounds. While his passing is widely praised and his rebounding efforts as a point guard are welcome, Ball hasn't quite had the impact the Lakers were hoping for due to his woeful shooting. Ball is shooting just 30.9 percent on 11.2 field-goal attempts per game, and he is making just 24.5 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. 

Ball is under an immense spotlight due to his high-draft pick status, playing in Los Angeles and the extra attention brought on by his father LaVar Ball's outspoken nature.

On that last point, Curry has said he can relate in a sense, due to the NBA-fame of his father Dell Curry, per ESPN.com's Chris Haynes: 

"Early in my sophomore and junior years in high school, there was a little extra pressure because of who my dad was, and I felt like everybody was kind of critiquing my every move on the court, and I was already not getting recruited or anything. I was always playing to be recognized by coaches. So, I had pressure on myself anyway. Whenever you miss a shot, the crowd goes crazy, and only for your misses and nobody else's. The high school cheering sections going at me, and hounding me the whole game. Even in college, the same type of deal. It rubs you the wrong way a little bit. I had to go through those experiences."

Curry also said he is confident Ball "will prove people wrong in time," per Haynes. Another nugget of wisdom from Curry came courtesy of The Athletic's Anthony Slater:

For comparison's sake, Curry averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds in his first 20 games while shooting 45 percent from the floor, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Ball has of course flashed franchise-leader potential this season, becoming the youngest player in the league to notch a triple-double on November 11 and then following that up with another triple-double just eight days later.

His ability to dissect defenses with smart passing has not gone unnoticed, and that bedrock talent of his will only improve with time. Ball has had five games with double-digit assists already this season.

Of course, Ball will never reach his full potential to break down NBA defenses if he is unable to improve his shooting. Defenders can sag off the 19-year-old point guard and clog passing lanes when Ball's shot is not falling, which has been just about every game to this point.

Durant, a renowned shooter, isn't fazed by Ball's unorthodox shooting motion. He compared it to former teammate Kevin Martin's unusual shooting stroke and told Haynes: "It's not just his shot, it's just the fact that he has to be confident in his shot, and I think that just comes with repetition."

Ball shot an excellent 55.1 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three-point range during his lone season at UCLA with the same stroke he's displayed in the pros. The only difference now is the shots aren't falling. That, too, could develop with time.

Durant also said the criticism of Ball's game are fairly premature given his age.

"He's 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., where the eyes and scrutiny are on him. He's playing like he should play as far as learning the game and adjusting on the fly," he said, per Haynes.

Ball's former coach at UCLA, Steve Alford, is also weighing in on his early pro career. Alford told the Los Angeles Times' Tania Ganguli that he has been impressed with Ball's defense—an often underdiscussed aspect of his game.

"The thing … I am very impressed with him is that I think defensively, he's really working at it," Alford said. "And defensively he's growing in that area. For a rookie, I think that's the hardest thing coming into the NBA, is to learn what you have to do defensively. And I was very impressed with that."

Ball has earned praise from coach Luke Walton for his defensive efforts. He is averaging 1.4 steals per game and has shown great work ethic crashing the defensive boards.

Per ESPN.com, Ball is eighth among point guards in defensive real plus-minus (DPRM). The only other rookie in the top-10 among point guards is Philadelphia's Ben Simmons, who tops the category. Ball's defensive instincts are incredibly sharp for a new player, which bodes well for his future on that end of the floor. 

While Ball is no doubt struggling in some aspects, it is clear he is trying to develop an all-around game, leaving no aspect of playing the sport underappreciated. He has plenty of time to figure things out and make good on the talent that saw him taken with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft.

Superstars like Durant and Curry appear to be aware of Ball's potential, as well as the things he is already doing well. Perhaps Ball can make them look smart with a strong display in a marquee matchup Wednesday night.