Back in 2017, around draft time, Lonzo Ball received all of the hype. Sure, a lot of it was because of his outstanding play with UCLA. But would he have received as much hype if it wasn’t for his father, LaVar Ball? Probably not, but regardless it all worked out. When Lonzo Ball was selected with the second-overall pick by the Lakers in 2017, he was expected to make an instant impact to the team.
Ball had his moments. Some good, and some bad. But for the most part, it was clear that he was not going to be a game-changing piece all by himself. That’s why the Los Angeles Lakers went out and did all they could to sign the NBA’s best, LeBron James. With James, the Lakers are a much better team. But it’s not just about the record when it comes to James being with L.A. It’s also about the development of the young supporting cast around LeBron.
For LeBron James, he’s focused on doing multiple things at once. He not only wants to win games, but he wants to make sure that he can be the best leader and mentor the Lakers’ have seen in recent years. And who is LeBron’s attention on? Of course, the second-year guard, Lonzo Ball. Recently, LeBron addressed his progress with the young guard, and he truly believes that Lonzo Ball is a great player who just hasn’t realized it yet.
LeBron Sees Lonzo’s Potential
“Sometimes he doesn’t even realize how great he is,” James told reporters the other night. It doesn’t show up in the stat sheets, but Lonzo Ball is playing a lot better than social media portrays. Averaging eight points-per-game isn’t precisely an incredible stat, but Lonzo has been quite the force on defense. Ball has talent, and he apparently hasn’t reached anywhere near his peak.
Sometimes, the pressure might be what is holding Lonzo Ball back though – not the critics, and the lack of opportunities. If there’s one piece of advice that Lonzo Ball’s mentor/captain can give him, it’s to remain aggressive. LeBron James doesn’t care how many missed shots Lonzo has during a game, he just needs him to take chances.
“The things that he possesses out on the floor, when Zo realizes how good he is on the floor, it makes him a very dynamic player and it makes us even better. And he’s been doing that as of late, [with] his aggressiveness.”
“Even when he’s not making, just his attack as you’ve seen earlier in the game, just him getting to the rim [is important],” James said of Ball, who went 4-for-10 from the field. “He missed a couple of ’em; that’s absolutely fine. He had a couple charges; that’s absolutely fine. When he’s aggressive, it just changes our dynamic of the team, and he’s been doing it of late and we need him to continue to do that because he’s very good.”
Will Lonzo Ball keep the same aggression that he flashes at times? That remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure, LeBron James is all for it. Now that the Lakers are finally settling down with who they have, the pressure on LeBron and Lonzo has been lifted. Ball can go out and play his game, hopefully aggressively, and the Lakers can really show the Western Conference what they are made of.
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LeBron James Needs Lonzo Ball to Remain Aggressive