On Sunday night, Lonzo Ball of the Los Angeles Lakers put on a show in the Staples Center with his second triple-double. What was really impressive was his rebounding totals.
After a really disappointing showing against the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to crush the Denver Nuggets from the start on Sunday. As a potential Western Conference playoff team, this was a good win for the Lakers.
While trailing early, the Nuggets lost their cool, as head coach Mike Malone and center Nikola Jokic were both tossed from the game. Losing Jokic was big for the Nuggets, as he is one of their best players.
In the win, the Lakers were able to score 127 points, as it was arguably their best offensive showing of the season. With the high point total came a lot of great statistics for players, but it was Lonzo Ball who stole the show.
Ball was able to record his second triple-double of the season, as he totaled 11 points, 11 assists, and 16 rebounds. For a point guard, the rebounding numbers were ridiculous for Ball. Prior to the game, assistant coach, Brian Shaw, mentioned that he noticed Ball played much better when he was active on the glass. He clearly took that advice and had a great game.
Lonzo Ball said that one of the pieces of advice Brian Shaw told him was that when he rebounds, his overall game is better. Lonzo took it to heart with his 16 rebounds tonight.
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) November 20, 2017
Seeing Ball record his second triple-double is an extremely encouraging sign. There has been a lot of talk about Ball being a bust already despite playing in just 17 games. Considering that he is a rookie, this talk is utterly ridiculous. While he has struggled with his shot, Ball has shown that he can do a lot of other things on the court to make up for the tough shooting nights.
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As shown on Sunday, Ball getting rebounds also really help out the Lakers’ offense. Ball’s ability to get the ball down the floor to players like Kyle Kuzma, Brandon Ingram and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope instantly helps the Lakers score in transition. While he might not get assists for these passes that set up fast breaks, it certainly helps the Lakers win games. For Ball, he joins elite company with Magic Johnson as the only two rookies to have multiple triple-doubles with the Lakers.