Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball seems to not mind recent change of scenery
Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball appears to be happy about the blockbuster trade that sent him over to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Point guard Lonzo Ball appears to taking his recent trade from the Los Angeles Lakers rather well. In his first public comments since he officially became a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, Ball seemed to be happy about the move.
Earlier in the month, the former UCLA standout was shelled out to the Pelicans to go along with Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and a trio of first-round draft picks. In return for that massive haul, the Lakers acquired superstar Anthony Davis.
In a video Ball posted on his social media page, the youngster coined the trade as “good news,” per Kaelen Jones of Sports Illustrated.
"“You probably heard the news. It’s good news, in my opinion,” Ball said in a Facebook video Sunday. “Melo had a game today, he did good. … I got traded, that was good. And yeah, now we’re going to be taking the show to New Orleans and turning up out there. So, until next time, ciao.”"
While trades are not always easy to accept, Zo certainly does not seem to consider the change of scenery a bad thing. To be completely honest, it is tough to blame Ball for carrying a positive attitude.
Let alone getting the chance to still play with a couple of his teammates from the Lakers, he also gets to partner with the 2019 NBA draft’s first overall pick. Said draft pick is none other than ultra-talented Duke product Zion Williamson.
Additionally, Ball gets the chance to have a fresh start in a sense in New Orleans. Granted he did not necessarily meet the expectations everyone set out for him in Los Angeles, there should be a little less pressure on him now. It is reasonable to say that factor could cause him to develop greater consistency going into his third year in the NBA.
Perhaps to no surprise, Lonzo’s boisterous father, LaVar, also shared his opinion about the transaction. Via Scott Gleeson of USA Today, LaVar does not look like he is losing much sleep over the fact that the Lakers shipped his son across the country.
Gleeson noted that LaVar Ball called the Lakers’ environment a “raggedy” one. While this is surely a jab at the Lakers, the remark is not totally unjustifiable. One cannot say Lonzo’s tenure in L.A. was all too stable in nature.
Two summers back, Lonzo was selected as the number two overall pick in the NBA draft. During his stint with the Lakers, he averaged 10.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per contest.
Albeit those numbers are not insanely robust, they are still indicative of Ball’s well-rounded game. If Ball can avoid the injury bug moving forward, he may have a bright future in the years to come.
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Even though his dad has been always known to have choice words about any topic, it is nice to see that Zo took the high road here. He is just ready to get back to the hardwood and play ball.
That being said, when the Lakers and Pelicans square off this year, be sure to tune into the action. This matchup is going to be a fun one to witness.