Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Standouts from Las Vegas Summer League
By Tony Thai
Lonzo Ball
The man of the hour, every hour it seems. There hasn’t been this much media attention since LeBron James. Whether it’s about his father, his shoes or his flashy passes, Lonzo Ball has been the center of attention for the past few months and it didn’t stop in Las Vegas.
The whole world was ready to watch Ball play in the Summer League. In his first game versus the Clippers, Ball struggled, shooting 2-for-15 in the game. However, Ball went back out the next day and posted a triple double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. This was the first triple double ever in the Summer League.
After missing the rematch against De’Aaron Fox, Ball played his best game in the Summer League against the 76ers. He had 36 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals.
He continued to show off his great passing and court vision while anticipating the passing lanes and stealing the ball. Players around him seemed to pass more. While his shot struggled, shooting only 38 percent, Ball made sure that he contributed in all other areas.
Ball lead the Summer League in assists with 9.3 assists per game, the highest ever in Summer League history.
Lonzo Ball’s 9.3 APG is the highest in summer league history. pic.twitter.com/vILZGbe6xD
— ESPN (@espn) July 18, 2017
Right before the championship game, Ball was announced as the NBA Summer League MVP after averaging 16.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists in 6 games.
Even though his shooting numbers were rough, Ball showed everyone in the Summer League why the Lakers picked him second. The MVP award might be first of many awards for Ball in his career.