LAS VEGAS – Lonzo Ball’s rocky Summer League debut opened with an eye-popping alley-oop pass and closed with a jaw-dropping assessment from his father, LaVar.
Along the way, the 2017 No. 2 pick dished some spectacular assists, but struggled to find the range on his jumper, hitting just 2 of his 15 shots and only one of his 11 three-point attempts in a 96-93 overtime loss to the Clippers on Friday. He finished with five points, five assists, four rebounds and three turnovers.
“[Lonzo] ain’t gonna be discouraged. This is the worst you can do,” said LaVar, who watched the game from a box near the court and addressed reporters in the mixed zone after the game. “He still kept his team in the game playing his worst game ever. … It’s better for him to start at the bottom than have all this success off the top and now everyone expects it the whole season. He’s gonna grow.”
The Clippers’ guards regularly dared him to shoot, and yet he spent most of the night looking to pass first and second, tossing a beautiful lob to 2016 No. 2 pick Brandon Ingram, finding his teammates with quick passes in transition and lasering cross-court passes to shooters.
Speak On It!