Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Says He Needs to Be 'Engaged' After Recent Struggles
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball was a non-factor with four points, one assist and one rebound during his team's 124-120 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday, and he admitted he needs to change his game as the season continues.
"I just got to rebound the ball, get engaged, more energy, just do what I can to get myself going," Ball said Tuesday, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
The second-year playmaker also said "just not doing my job" when asked if the time he missed this offseason because of a torn meniscus was impacting his play.
Ball also struggled in the prior loss to the San Antonio Spurs with six points, three assists, two rebounds and three turnovers.
He flashed his potential as an all-around playmaker as a rookie with 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game, but his numbers are down across the board in a small sample size this season at 9.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.3 steals a night.
What's more, the Lakers are 2-5, and LeBron James was already discussing his patience after the loss to the Timberwolves when he said, "You probably don't want to be around when my patience runs out," per Spectrum SportsNet (h/t Bob Garcia IV of Sports Out West). "I'm serious."
Youngmisuk cited ESPN Stats & Information and noted Los Angeles has outscored opponents by 17 points in four games when Rajon Rondo is on the floor and is being outscored by 44 points in seven games when Ball is on the floor.
While Ball is clearly a major part of the organization’s long-term plans as the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft and will surely continue to receive opportunities to build a rapport with James and develop his skills, Rondo may be the go-to option at point guard in crunch time if those totals continue.
