It took only one game for Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball to get called out by another NBA player. Ball, playing in his first career NBA game, got shut down by Patrick Beverley on Thursday, who held him to just three points on a one-of-six shooting performance.
Beverley had plenty to say about Ball after shutting him down, and that’s probably not how the Lakers guard had hoped his first career NBA game would turn out.
As far as the next few games for the Lakers, an entertaining matchup with the Wizards is set for Wednesday. It will be fun to watch Ball and John Wall go at it on the court, and we can expect the veteran to provide the rookie with some teachable moments.
Wall was recently asked about why Beverley went off about Ball after the two matched up on the court, and he speculated that his father, LaVar, has put Lonzo in a tough situation. Wall believes other NBA players will continue to target the Lakers rookie guard.
“I think his dad put him in a situation where guys are going to target him,” Wall said on the Wizards Tipoff podcast, as transcribed by NBC Sports Washington. “Lonzo is one of those kids that is very talented. He’s been a good player for years, he just don’t say much. I think his dad does all the talking for him.”
He does make a good point, but we don’t envision LaVar Ball quieting down anytime soon. Wall also went on to provide some good advice for Lonzo going forward.
“He’s a great kid from what I’ve seen on the outside looking in,” Wall said. “A lot of people in this league are going to take it personally. It’s not the son’s fault. He went back and had a better game [vs. the Suns]. That’s all he’s gotta do is go out there and play. He’s not gonna do any talking anyways. If he gets killed or don’t get killed or kills somebody, he’s not going to be the guy talking.”
Wall appears to be wiser than LaVar Ball, who has put his son in a tough situation. We understand what the man is doing from a marketing perspective, but putting a target on his son — which could lead to him possibly getting hurt — really doesn’t seem to be worth the price.
Unfortunately for Lonzo, it doesn’t look like his father is going to stop talking anytime soon.
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