– Lonzo Ball
It was a tough debut for Lonzo Ball in the NBA. With a tough matchup against Patrick Beverley and him coming off an ankle injury, it was hard to expect Ball to have a great game. In the loss, Ball totaled three points, nine rebounds, and four assists. While the nine rebounds from Ball was nice, he was unable to do much else against Beverley.
Prior to the game, Luke Walton didn’t expect Ball to play much more than 25 minutes, but Ball ended up totaling 29 minutes played. Considered that he sat for the fourth quarter, Ball could have easily been over 30 minutes if this was a closer game.
Seeing Ball play nearly 30 minutes is a good sign that his ankle is feeling well. It would have been hard to expect a great game for Ball considering his missed most of the preseason with the ankle injury. However, it was a bit disappointing to see him have the worst +/- of any starter for the Lakers. Ball will get a chance to bounce back quickly, as the Lakers will be playing the Suns on Friday night. Building chemistry with his new teammates will continue to be important for Ball, as he looks to become the floor general for the Lakers.