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Los Angeles Lakers: Team awards for first quarter of season

By Kenneth Teape

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers runs out before the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers runs out before the game against the Golden State Warriors on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Los Angeles Lakers: Team awards for first quarter of season
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 29: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers foul Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half at Staples Center on November 29, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Lakers First Quarter Awards: Defensive Player of the Year, Lonzo Ball

Coming out of UCLA, Lonzo Ball was lauded for his offensive talent. He is a wizard with the basketball. His passing skills are at an elite level and he loves to distribute the ball to his teammates

While he has struggled to shoot the ball in the NBA, what many scouts worried about was Ball’s defense. Ball wasn’t regarded as a great defender in college. Many people thought that would continue in the NBA, but he has more than held his own. That is why he is the Defensive Player of the First Quarter for the Lakers.

In composite stats, Ball has gotten the job done. He is averaging 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. His 5.4 defensive rebounds per game lead the team. Taking a deeper look into the advanced stats paint an even better picture for Ball’s defensive stats.

Ball is 7th among all point guards on Basketball-Reference in block percentage. Only John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Tyler Johnson are rotation players that are ahead of Ball. He is also 8th in defensive rebound percentage. Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons, Dejounte Murray and Kyle Lowry are the only rotation players ahead of him.

Ball also has a solid defensive rating of 104 according to Basketball-Reference. Ball isn’t going to make the NBA All-Defensive Team, but his performance on that side of the ball has surpassed all expectations to begin his career.

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