Walton, Lakers score big with Ball
A precious gift was bestowed Thursday night upon Lakers head coach Luke Walton, something with a bit more permanence than handling the Warriors in Steve Kerr’s absence. With the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, Walton got himself a transcendent point guard who plans to bring some old-school thought to the position.
Point guards don’t much remind anyone of Magic Johnson, John Stockton or Maurice Cheeks these days. Their primary function is to score — a 30-point night comes in handy — as illustrated by Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving and James Harden. Which is fine, and it’s absolutely the way the NBA is heading. As Kentucky coach John Calipari said during ESPN’s draft telecast, “There are no point guards anymore in the NBA.”
Lonzo Ball is about to change all that, even if he advances the progression by himself. As he leaves UCLA for the team he has dreamed of joining, his critics should prepare to see the light.
Once I heard that UCLA beat formidable Kentucky on the road to stay unbeaten in the first week of December, I didn’t miss a Bruins telecast for the rest of the season — just to watch one of the most creative, influential passers the game has seen in years, at any level. Ball lives to pass. It’s the only thing he wants to do. His anticipation is astounding. Like all great passers, he delivers the ball to the exact spot his teammates prefer. He’s devastatingly good in the open court, and if teams give him an opening, he’ll finish strong with either hand.
People seem baffled by his quirky outside shot, and it’s true that he doesn’t have a pullup-jumper game or the talent to create his own shot from the perimeter. Who cares? He’s not interested in any of that. He shoots only when he’s wide open — and those shots go down, from 25 feet and beyond.
It’s a bit early to project the Lakers as a playoff team, but L.A. is abuzz with talk of LeBron James joining the show next season. “I think our games could help each other a lot,” Ball told ESPN. “Any time you want the ball, just let me know. It’s gonna be there.”
All of a sudden, for many reasons on draft night, the NBA summer seems more interesting than its regular season.