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Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball has opportunity to shine

By Nick Ziegler

SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: An overhead view of Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers warming up before the game against the Sacramento Kings on November 10, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 10: An overhead view of Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers warming up before the game against the Sacramento Kings on November 10, 2018 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Rajon Rondo for a significant amount of time while he recovers from a hand surgery. With Rondo out, Lonzo Ball needs to shine.

The Los Angeles Lakers were able to get a big win against the Portland Trail Blazers this week, but it came at a hefty cost. In the win, Rajon Rondo suffered a broken hand, which will require surgery.

This injury comes at a bad time for the Lakers, as they were really starting to play well over the last couple of weeks. As winners of four straight, the Lakers are now over .500, but they will be missing a key piece of their rotation for around a month it appears.

This season, Rondo is averaging 8.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in about 25 minutes per game. Rondo has been very efficient for the Lakers when he is on the court, and is also shooting the ball very well from the field and from behind the arc.

With Rondo out, a lot of the pressure to fill in for him will fall on Lonzo Ball. As the No.2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball has had a lot of pressure on him early on in his career. Now with Rondo out, Ball will be asked to do a lot at the point guard position.

Like Rondo, Ball is playing about 25 minutes per game, as the two have mostly split time this season. In his second season, Ball is averaging 8.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. The numbers for the two are pretty comparable. While Ball isn’t shooting the basketball as well as Rondo this season, he has been much better than last season.

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For as long as Rondo is out for, Ball will likely be playing over 30 minutes a night now and finishing out games. Since the two have had pretty much an equal role so far this season, this is an opportunity for Ball to show that he is indeed the best point guard on the team. For the duration of Rondo’s injury, it will be interesting to see how Ball performs for the Lakers.

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