It is no secret that Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard has struggled so far this season, as just about everyone who watches the Lakers, and the NBA in general, is talking about it.
Ball had one of his worst games Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, scoring just two points on 1-of-9 shooting to go along with five rebounds and two assists in 21 minutes. For the second straight game, Ball found himself watching the entire fourth quarter from the bench.
Ball ranks last in the NBA, shooting 30.3 percent from the field and 23 percent from three-point range, while averaging 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists through his first 15 career games.
It is just 15 games of his rookie season though, so according to one NBA scout, it’s not quite time to panic yet, via Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post:
“He’s getting targeted right now,” one scout said. “Guys are giving him their best every night, and at some point that’s going to fade away a little bit and things will get easier for him, and things will adapt some.
“He’s got great size, elite instincts, and is a very good passer in this league. Personally, I think it’s going to be fine.”
Ball is just 20-years-old and point guard is the most difficult position to play in the NBA, so it’s far too soon to be calling him a bust like some people are.
The good thing is that Ball is working hard to get out of these struggles, as he reportedly went to the practice facility to get shots up after the game Wednesday and was early to practice on Thursday to get more shooting in.
Lakers head coach Luke Walton defended his rookie, saying that he has no plans of moving him out of the starting lineup, which should give Ball some confidence and hopefully will get him trending in the right direction moving forward.
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