Lonzo Ball, I feel you.
Everyone has been hating on him since the moment he stepped foot on an NBA court, and for what? In case people didn’t realize Zo is 20 years old, and being a great player takes time. So, stop listening to LaVar, and let Zo play.
One thing people overlook in Zo’s game is his ability to create for others. It’s players like Ball that guys like Kuzma, Ingram, and Larry Nance Jr love to have around. His numbers might not be the best right now, but there have been glimpses, like the triple-doubles earlier in the season. Zo is the definition of a complete player, even though he can’t impact a game with his scoring just yet, he’s been able to let Brandon Ingram shine and make guys like Brook Lopez and Julius Randle look good. Yeah, the Lakers are 10-16, and if you really thought a 20-year old could come in and immediately dominate, then you were fooled.
Now, most people will just think Zo is full of himself and craves attention, but if you looked at him off the court, the media is lucky to get two words out of him. He’s humble and reserved. All he cares about is being the best basketball player he can be, despite what his dad has said about him. People will argue that LaVar puts too much pressure on him, but all LaVar is doing is being a father to his son. Magic drafted him for a reason, and Lakers fans, you need to let this season ride out, because more is coming. LeBron James, who came in the league at barely 18, had some sincere thoughts on Zo:
“The kid hasn’t said anything,” James told ESPN when asked about the hype surrounding Ball. “It’s been everybody else. So, I love his humility. He goes out, every time someone asks him a question, he says, ‘This is not about me, man. I just want to win. I don’t care about what I did.’ I seen he had a triple-double one game and they lost. He was like, ‘I don’t care. We lost.’”
“So, can I draw any parallel to my experience? I mean, of course. I guess when you’re drafted to a franchise, they want you to kind of be the savior. And it takes a while. I mean, listen, man, this guy is 20-something games into his pro career. S— doesn’t happen [that fast]. Here it goes again, it goes back to my instant oatmeal [quote]: Everybody wants it right away. Can he play ball? Absolutely. The kid can play ball. Do guys want to play with him? Absolutely, because it’s a guy who is not about him. It’s about the success of the team. And he gives the ball up, and he passes the ball, and there’s energy behind the ball.”
We all need to sit back and relax, because I know many of the LeBron fans today don’t even remember when he was drafted. LeBron had a lot of pressure coming into the league at 18, but somehow that goes overlooked, because he’s the greatest basketball player in the world today.
All in all, it takes time to develop into the player an organization wants. The Lakers want him to be the next Kobe Bryant and to get them competing for an NBA title again. At 20 years old, to have those expectations is quite the wake-up call. So stop listening to LaVar, and let Zo play ball.
Just leave the man alone.
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