Gordon Hayward Told LaMelo Ball to 'Forget This One' After Scoreless Debut

LaMelo Ball had an NBA debut to forget, and Gordon Hayward told his teammate to do just that after the Charlotte Hornets lost 121-114 to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"We all know some days are diamonds and some days are stones," Hayward told reporters.

The 2017 All-Star added that his guidance to Ball was to "just forget this one." 

Ball shot 0-of-5 from the floor and finished with three assists and three turnovers in 16 minutes on the floor. A roughly 10-second stretch summed up his night. The 19-year-old turned the ball over, stole it back, and turned it back over.

According to Elias Sports (via ESPN Stats & Info), Ball is the fourth top-three pick over the last 15 years to go scoreless in his first game. The other three players (Otto Porter Jr., Hasheem Thabeet and Greg Oden) don't make for great company.

As much hype as Ball carried into the NBA, a difficult adjustment period is in store.

Guards generally have the hardest time as rookies. They have the ball in their hands more frequently, thus leaving them more prone to turnovers, and they can be left on an island defensively.

Not every rookie can be Luka Doncic, who had already proven himself in Spain and the EuroLeague before making the jump to the United States.

The transition is exacerbated for Ball since he had just 12 games in Australia's National Basketball League under his belt before a foot injury ended his season in January. That's a long time to be out of action before getting thrown into the NBA fire.

To the extent Ball should remember Wednesday's defeat, he should use it as a learning experience.