NBA fans are loving that basketball is back on television and this playoff format for the Las Vegas Summer League is actually quite entertaining for the most part but let us be serious — do not get too hyped about these players and incoming rookies putting up big numbers because quite frankly it is only summer league and most of these players are scrubs.
Take this for example. Lonzo Ball this summer league is averaging 17.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 9.8 APG. Someone might come around and look at that stat line and say that it is pretty good. Lonzo Ball has also dropped two triple doubles during his summer league campaign and the NBA media just loves those triple doubles especially last year when they essentially feasted and drooled all over the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Russell Westbrook.
Sure, people may say that he is “balling” out and playing really good and solid basketball. However, instead of looking at his points, rebounds and assists, dig a little deeper and take a look at his efficiency and his turnover numbers against non-NBA players.
He is currently shooting an abysmal 35.7 percent from the floor (which is worse than what MVP Russell Westbrook shot all of last season) while shooting an atrocious 19.4 percent from three-point range. But honestly, who cares right? He scored two triple doubles and scored 36 points in the other game he played in.
Now here’s a prime example of the NBA media loving and only keeping an eye out for their only love when it comes to basketball, the triple double.
This tweet from ESPN’s NBA writer Ohm Youngmisuk from last nights Lakers/Nets game explains it best. Why are we on the look out for a triple double and why are we so fascinated by them? Why have we been sucked into believing that a player can only be great if and only if they score a triple double during a game?
The triple double means absolutely nothing when it comes to players who hold the ball too long, give out average assists, turn the ball over too often while letting the other team have easy fast break points and shooting the ball poorly.
This is what Lonzo Ball is doing at this very moment against scrubs of the NBA summer league. The majority of these players will not have a team in the next week or so and he is shooting the ball so poorly and turning the ball over too much against these guys.
Lonzo Ball will be the missing piece the Los Angeles Lakers have been desperately needing for the past five years. Ball’s ability to pass the ball with ease and make his teammates better while on the court is incredible to watch but he is far from perfect.
He needs to work on his jump shot for the most part. His unorthodox shot works for the most part against these summer league players but against real NBA players, he will not be so lucky. It takes way too much time for Ball to take the ball from the left side of his head and bring it back when he releases it towards the hoop. Real NBA players and decent defensive point guards will figure him and his game out quickly and will feast on him.
He also needs to work on his defensive skills. As of right now he has shown tha he is somewhat slow and just flat out can not guard anyone and he is being humiliated for the most part when guarding a player one on one.
Lonzo Ball will struggle this coming season if he does not fix these issues that surround him. However, with all of this negativity of his performance at the Las Vegas Summer League this year, the there is a bright side to his him and his game. He is a phenomenal talent, he will bring the beauty of passing and ball movement back to the game and he will be star in a few years down the road but as of now, he has a lot to work on in order for him to become the new face of the Los Angeles Lakers.
