Washington Wizards point guard John Wall discussed the pressure that Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball is under.
The Los Angeles Lakers faced off with the Washington Wizards this week for the second time this season. The second matchup did not go as well as the first one, as the Lakers lost the rematch on Thursday night.
In the rematch, the Lakers were unable to overcome a large deficit as they did in the first. One big difference in the second game from the first one was the play of Wizards point guard, John Wall.
Wall struggled in the first matchup of the season. He shot 7-of-22 from the field, scoring 19 points with nine assists, three rebounds and one steal in 41 minutes. He more than made up for it in the second meeting.
In the most recent matchup, Wall scored a game-high 23 points on 8-of-18 from the field. He also added five assists and eight rebounds. Unlike the first matchup, Wall had a big impact defensively this time around. In addition to the dominance offensively, Wall added two steals and three blocks, most of which were of the highlight variety.
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There are a lot of factors that could have gone into the differing outcomes. One possible reason was the unnecessary pressure put on Wall by center Marcin Gortat. Gortat took a shot at Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball on Twitter, saying Wall would torture him.
Torture was not what ensued, as Ball played a solid game despite his shooting struggles. While Ball didn’t shoot well against the Wizards in either game, shooting a combined 5-of-23. However, he totaled 16 rebounds, 18 assists, three steals and one block.
While Gortat put added pressure on his teammate, the added pressure is something Ball has dealt with for months. There is a lot of pressure that comes with being the No. 2 overall pick in the draft. That pressure is only heightened by playing for the Lakers and having a boisterous father like Lonzo has in LaVar Ball.
LaVar is not bashful when talking about his sons. He oozes with confidence when talking about them and believes they can be the best basketball players in the world. It has put a target on Lonzo, but it is something he is used to by now.
It has been a topic of discussion since he burst onto the scene at UCLA. Following the game Thursday, Wall discussed the pressure that Ball is under.
"“It’s tough,” John Wall told Yahoo Sports about Ball. “I mean, his dad does a lot of talking for him. Him saying he didn’t want to play for anybody but the Lakers. Him being a Laker. They want him to be the next franchise guy for them. It’s a lot of burden to fall behind Kobe Bryant.”"
Since Kobe Bryant retired following the 2015-16 season, the Lakers have been looking for a new face of the franchise. Magic Johnson has already declared that Ball is the new face of the franchise, adding, even more, pressure onto the 20-year old.
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Critiquing Ball is something that has been happening for a while, and it isn’t going to stop anytime soon. Ball just has to keep going about his business. If he performs on the court, things will quiet down off of it.