The Los Angeles Lakers played their season opener, Oct. 19, 2017. The main star of the game was Lonzo Ball, who made his NBA debut that same night.
The Lakers faced off against their close rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers. Ball has been the most hyped, and highly anticipated player in recent years. The Chino Hills prodigy has been blown up all over social media, due to his father’s, Lavar, boastfulness of him this year, as well as his basketball skills. His two younger brothers, LaMelo and LiAngelo, are gaining attention in the media and following in their brother’s footsteps.
Ball had his first match-up with point guard, Patrick Beverley. The former guard for the Houston Rockets is known in the NBA for his solid defensive-minded style. He is also extremely good at knowing how to get under his opponent’s skin and play mind games. Some NBA players consider him a “1st team all-defense” caliber player.
The Lakers looked helpless throughout the entire night, as they missed many open layups, dunks, and jumpers. Court vision and well-placed passes from the rookie prospect turned into more missed shots. Ball could not seem to get the offense going throughout the game because of Beverley’s tremendous defense, and even caused him to turn the possession over with a backcourt violation.
Magic Johnson and the Lakers look to build a new dynasty with their star rookie, as well as the addition of other players such as Kyle Kuzma and Brook Lopez. Things did not turn out so well for the former UCLA point guard, as he only managed to score three points, nine rebounds, and four assists throughout the entire game period.
The Lakers took their first loss of the season, losing to the Clippers, 108-92. Although this first game may have been considered a disappointment to many, he still has the rest of the season to show why he was a top 3 draft pick in the NBA 2017 draft.
Written by Parris Winfrey
Edited by Cathy Milne
Sources:
Bleacher Report: Lonzo Ball Learns Harsh Reality That Success Doesn’t Come Overnight
NBA: Lonzo, Lakers Take Rough Lesson From Season Opener
Hoops Habit: Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Takeaways From Lakers Loss In Season Debut
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Malingering’s Flickr – Creative Commons License