Lonzo Ball had a bad summer league debut. He’ll be fine

Lonzo Ball didn’t play well in the first summer league game of his career, and that does not matter at all. ESPN and Deadspin, to name a few, are crushing the 19-year-old, though, with headlines describing his performance as a “disaster” and “nightmarish.” Those are harsh words for a rookie playing in a game with such unimportance that a very minor Brandon Ingram leg cramp was enough for Magic Johnson to pull him before overtime started.

Ball wasn’t good, but was far from that bad. He had a few good flashes. His first play of the game was an alley-oop tossed from Steph Curry’s-three-point range to a cutting Ingram that had the entire arena roaring.

He saw the floor just as he did at UCLA, finishing with five assists and a number of plays leading to assists. Yet his 1-of-11 shooting from three are what most are taking away from his first taste of NBA action, especially the two misses he had late with the game on the line.

Part of the hypercriticism of Ball is fueled by the rookie’s predetermined image because of his father’s antics. Whatever your thoughts, it’s ridiculous how harshly he’s been roasted for having a bad summer league game as a rookie.

Remember that Lonzo Ball is a playmaker playing with a roster of unfamiliar faces.

Ball wasn’t drafted for his ability to score like Curry. He’s a unique point guard with a special type of vision that allows him to see plays before they happen. We saw that 20 seconds into the game with the lob to Ingram.

He shot awfully at 2-of-15 from the field and was lost defensively throughout. But he played a very Lonzo Ball game otherwise with five points, five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block. That’s a full stat sheet, except for the shooting percentage.

A pass-first guard isn’t going to be comfortable playing in his first professional game with a bunch of people he met last week, no matter who he is. Of course Ball turned the ball over three times and didn’t control the game like some had hoped.

But this has happened before in his first experience with new teammates.

In UCLA’s three-game trip to Australia last summer, he made just 9-of-36 shots from the field and just 4-of-21 from three. He went on to become the No. 2 pick in the draft.

Ball didn’t play well defensively.

A number of times, Ball got lost on screens or beat off the dribble by Clippers point guard Kendall Marshall, who isn’t exactly the fleetest of foot. On one play, Ball found himself down low battling Brice Johnson, which led to an easy dunk. It was an ugly play.

Then again, Ball is a one-and-done rookie defending a four-year NBA veteran in Marshall, and went out of his position trying to match up with Johnson on a switch.

Players don’t typically reach a league-average level of play until their third of fourth year in the league. Defensively, it’s toughest for guards to adjust to the new speed of the game. This was Ball’s first pro game, after all.

Here are Ball’s lowlights for you to evaluate.

Three of his missed threes came with the shot clock about to expire. A handful were open shots that didn’t go down like we’re accustomed to seeing from his year at UCLA, where he shot 41 percent from downtown, lots of which were deep threes. OK, he also forced up a few bad shots. Looks like an average viewing of a rookie’s lowlights tape.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well. This is summer league.

This bad game means little for Lonzo Ball’s future as a pro. The rest of the games he plays this month won’t alone determine his destiny either. Summer league is a learning experience, and he isn’t doomed for a bad opening night.

Expectations of rookies are always way too high, and Ball’s are off the charts for reasons that are pretty beyond his control.

Lonzo Ball will be fine. Let him grow.