Los Angeles Lakers: How Lonzo Ball navigated screens as the ball-handler
A look at a few trends exhibited by Lonzo Ball when acting as the primary ball handler on ball-screens during Summer League.
With the conclusion of the much-anticipated Los Angeles Lakers Summer League in Las Vegas, fans got their first look at the 2nd pick of the 2017 NBA draft, Lonzo Ball.
During his time in Summer League, Ball had some ups and downs as he struggled to score the basketball, going a combined 10- 42 from deep.
However, the former UCLA guard did have some very impressive moments, as he collected two triple-doubles, as well as an impressive 36-point outing against the Sixers which all played a part in being named Summer League MVP.
This said, with all the hype surrounding Ball, it is likely that a very important aspect of his game was under analyzed during the festivities.
The aspect of his game being referred to is Lonzo’s ability to make the right decisions as the ball handler in pick & roll, pick & pop, or ball-screens in general.
The reason these plays are so important to pay attention to is because once the regular season begins, Ball will be playing with the finalized Lakers 15-man rotation under Luke Walton’s offense.
This offense runs a considerable amount of ball screens for the ball handler, as evidenced by the fact that during the 2016-2017 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers were in the top 5 in ball handler pick & roll frequency.
Thus, given how often the Lakers offense utilizes these types of plays on offense, it is crucial to analyze how Lonzo Ball chose to utilize them during his short appearance in Summer League.