The Los Angeles Lakers were recently able to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies. In the win, Lonzo Ball impressed his counterpart, Mike Conley.
Through 10 games, the Los Angeles Lakers are sitting a .500 with a 5-5 record. Things have certainly been going well for the Lakers, as they are playing a bit better than many would have expected.
While it is still very early in the season, the Lakers are playing much better on the defensive end compared to last season, and some of their young players are certainly improved over last season.
As expected a lot of the conversation about the Lakers usually starts with Lonzo Ball. As a rookie, Ball has had his ups and downs so far this season. He has shown an ability to be a great passer and rebounder, but his shooting has been very inconsistent so far. Even though expectations have been set extremely high for Ball, he is playing fine so far as a starting rookie point guard.
After their recent game against the Grizzlies, Ball received some praise from Mike Conley. Here’s what Conley had to say about Ball to Tania Ganguli of the LA Times.
"“He’s handled his situation about as good as anybody could,” Conley said before the game. “He seems like a great player, great attitude. All about the team. He’s my kind of player in a sense. I like guys who are unselfish, who are about the wins more than anything else.“He’s got a lot of room to grow obviously, but he’ll be fantastic for this league going forward and end up being a star.”"
Against the Grizzlies, Ball shot rather poorly from the field, as he was 3-for-13, however, he did record nine assists and five rebounds. His unselfish play is what really impressed Conley. As a rookie, Ball might not have a great season as a shooter, but he certainly wouldn’t be the first rookie to do so.
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However, he is proving that he can do a lot of things on the court to help his team win. Just by simply pushing the pace, Ball creates mismatches and easy opportunities for his teammates. While that doesn’t show up in a box score, a player like Conley is certainly able to respect that. In the Western Conference, Ball must be prepared almost every night for big showdowns against some of the NBA’s best point guards. With his unselfish play, he will likely continue to earn praise.