The Lakers should start Lonzo Ball, even when Rajon Rondo returns

They said he couldn’t shoot. They said he couldn’t defend. Some even said he wouldn’t pan out. Now, Lonzo Ball is balling out, and his play could be just what the Lakers needed to break free from their early slump.

It’s way too early into the season to jump to conclusions, but Ball had his best game so far and one of the most well-rounded outings of his young career. He put up 12 points, eight assists, six rebounds ,and five steals in Los Angeles’ 121-114 victory over the Nuggets on Thursday.

Ball shot 2-of-5 from three-point range, continuing his campaign as a 40 percent shooter from distance this season. It was the Lakers’ second win of the season after starting out 0-3, and Ball’s fingerprints were all over it. He’s played so well, it’s a real possibility Ball retains the starting point guard role once Rajon Rondo returns from serving his three-game suspension.

He was active all defensively all night and took the challenge to defend Jamal Murray, at times the full length or three-quarters court.

Denver is a team that applies offensive pressure with its dynamic pair of guards. So Ball countered with back court pressure of his own. The result was five steals, a couple of which came on inbounds passes to Murray.

Lakers head coach Luke Walton told reporters after the game Ball’s pressure and steal on Murray changed the game for his team.

“From that point on, on defense, he was causing havoc, getting his hands on balls, reading plays, coming in and rebounding,” Walton said. “But yeah, he’s a big-time game-changer for us when he’s playing aggressively like that.”

LeBron James agreed. He said Ball is underrated defensively and has some of the quickest hands in the league.

Ball shot a disappointing 30.5 percent from three-point range last season, and the world gave him slack for it — and rightfully so. But at least early into the season, the Lakers guard looks like the same star who drew the national spotlight as a freshman at UCLA.

Ball is shooting 40.7 percent from three in his first five games, and while it’s a small sample size, it could be an indication of things to come.

His perimeter struggles handicapped him as a rookie, but knocking those threes down will open the floor up for him. If he can do this consistently over the course of the season, the Lakers — a team which desperately needs more shooting to unleash James’ full wrath — will be better for it.

The better question might be why did they start Rondo over Ball to begin with. The numbers aren’t in Ball’s favor: the Lakers are 21.4 points worse per 100 offensive possessions when Ball is on the floor. But they also picked up their only two victories with him as the starter, and he was plus-10 against the Nuggets on Thursday.

Rondo has finished serving his three-game suspension and will return to the lineup for Los Angeles’ matchup against San Antonio on Saturday. Ball has made the case to be a starter, and he’s shown his game has improved since last season.

He could be the difference maker the Lakers needed. The team is rolling, and Walton should go with the hot hand.