Lakers News: Lonzo Ball Not Concerned If He Or Rajon Rondo Starts At Point Guard

Matthew Moreno
2 Min Read
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

After the Los Angeles Lakers selected Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, president of basketball operations Magic Johnson touted him as the point guard who would usher the franchise into a new era.

Want to get your content COMPLETELY AD FREE? Follow us on Apple News!

Ball fit the pass-first vision Johnson and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka had for the team. His rookie season was generally a success, but Ball suffered from multiple injuries and lacked a mentor.

The front office addressed that void by signing Rajon Rondo in free agency. However, he also brought with him a career full of serving as a starting point guard. The issue was mitigated by Ball’s recovery from offseason knee surgery, then Rondo’s suspension.

Now both players are active, and Lakers head coach Luke Walton is tasked with a decision. He opted to keep Ball in the lineup over the weekend, but what direction he’ll go ahead with is unclear.

Rondo previously said he wasn’t concerned about starting, and Ball recently echoed a similar sentiment. “It doesn’t really matter,” he said. “As long as we win games, that’s all I care about. Whoever starts is whoever starts. We’re both going to play.”

Whether a coincidence or not, Ball had one of his worst nights of the young season when Rondo returned from his suspension. The second-year guard finished with six points on just 2-for-8 shooting, 3 assists and 2 rebounds.

Ball played nearly 27 minutes, to 29 for Rondo. They shared the court down the stretch of the loss to the Spurs, though it left plenty to be desired.

While Walton has not specified who he will keep in the lineup, he acknowledged a preference to keep LeBron James and Rondo leading separate units so at least one would be on the court at all times.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers games, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com
Exit mobile version