Is Lonzo Ball a Bust?

Lonzo Ball of the LA Lakers. Photos by NBA

Written and media by Christian Caldozo.


The NBA is now approaching its second month since the season has begun, and everyone is already making their predictions for the after-season awards. One thing has been guaranteed, and that is this rookie class is going to be a special one. Stars in the making like Ben Simmons and Jayson Tatum, as well as sleepers like Donovan Mitchell, are really pulling more surprises for critics to see. However, one rookie comes to mind when thinking about this whole rookie class, that is none other than Big Baller Brand’s Lonzo Ball.

Lonzo Ball’s unorthodox jump shot. Photo by NBA

After a very impressive summer league performance and a summer league MVP, the expectations were very high for the Los Angeles Laker rookie. So far there have been 23 games that the Lakers have played, standing 11th in the Western Conference with an 8-15 record. Ball has had an up-and-down season so far, with the ups being the youngest player in the NBA to ever record a triple-double, and the downs being one of the worst starts for a rookie shooting-wise. Critics have proposed the question: Is Lonzo Ball a bust?

As of right now, it is way too early to declare whether he is a bust or not, and with the NBA season not even being halfway done it is unfair for critics and fans to declare Ball a bust. Currently, Ball’s stat line on ESPN goes as follows: 8.7ppg, 7.0apg, 6.9rpg, 1.3stl, and 2.7spg. One can look at this stat line and say that this is pretty impressive for an NBA rookie. Especially since Ball is considered to be a one-and-done out of college, but what critics are looking at are his shooting percentages. Ball has a field goal percentage of 31.3% and a 3 point percentage of 25%. Historically, this has been one of the worst starts for a rookie in 30 years. However, people believe that Ball still has Hall Of Fame potential. There is no doubt about that since on November 11, 2017, Ball recorded a stat line of 19 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds, being the youngest ever to record a triple-double. 

Of course, the Godfather of Big Baller Brand, Lavar Ball, has some say about his son’s performance and shooting. He says,

 It’s not lack of shooting. What you guys don’t understand, it ain’t got nothing to do with his shot. It never has been; ever since he’s played, cause we get rid of the ball, we make the simple plays. But if you can make the simple plays, and you allow the people to do the same things, he’s very disgusted, but won’t say anything, cause he’s not used to losing like this. This is a very easy, fixable thing if everybody would just drop their egos and just listen to what I’m saying. When you put these guys out there and let him play his style of game… I had to force this issue on the high school, and when they finally got the picture, they went 35-0. I had to force the same issue on UCLA.” 

The Big Baller Family. Photo by TUC Magazine

If one wants to have their own two cents on Lonzo Ball themselves, they can go to ESPN.com and break down Ball’s stats to really configure if he is a bust or not. One must also understand that stats are not always correct and could translate to a different story. If one really wants to break down Ball’s game, they should watch him play for the Lakers. Overall, Ball still has a lot of time on his hands to prove who he is as a player. With there being 50+ games left in the season, Ball could still vouch for Rookie of the Year. At the end of the day, it is all up to him to build his legacy.

Check out Lonzo Ball’s first triple-double highlights!

1 COMMENT

  1. Lonzo Ball is a BIG BUST.
    His shooting percentages are terrible. He is afraid of confrontation.

    The hype is so disgusting I will not even watch a Laker game when Lonzo is playing

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