Brother’s arrest in China weighed on Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball’s mind, Luke Walton suggests
Lakers coach Luke Walton believes that point guard Lonzo Ball was deeply affected by the arrest of his brother LiAngelo last week during a trip to China with the UCLA basketball team.
“[It’s] got to. It’s family,” Walton said. “They’re a close family. If my younger brother was in China being arrested, that would weigh on me.”
Whether or not that has affected the rookie’s play, Walton wouldn’t say. But the coach did say that Ball seemed different in practice Thursday — and his numbers have definitely been different in games.
“It’s tough to answer personal questions on him. He’s got to answer that,” Walton said of Ball, who wasn’t made available to the media Thursday. “But his energy seemed … not the same playful, joyful Lonzo that he normally is.”
In the five games since his brother and two other UCLA freshmen were arrested for shoplifting — four of which the Lakers lost – Ball missed more free throws than he made and remained on the bench for the fourth quarter of the last two games.
After Ball’s one-for-nine shooting performance in Wednesday’s loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Walton said the rookie retreated to the team’s El Segundo training facility to work on his shooting. Ball, whose 30.3% shooting is the worst in the NBA for a player with more than 135 field-goal attempts, followed up by arriving early Thursday for more practice.
“Could you walk through his shoes?” Kyle Kuzma said of his 20-year-old teammate. “Everybody think it’s easy. It’s tough. He’s in a tough situation.
“But he’s level-headed, he’s even-keeled. He comes in and works every day. So I’m not worried. As long as he does that, he’ll be fine.”
Walton agreed, brushing aside a suggestion he lessen the pressure on Ball by using him as a reserve.
“He’s our starting point guard,” he said. “There’s no talk as of now of moving Lonzo to the bench.”
Arc enemies
No team in the NBA has a lower shooting percentage from three-point range than the Lakers, who have made less than 29% of their shots from beyond the arc. They were even worse in their loss to the 76ers, going three for 27 from three-point range.
“Hard work is how you fix everything,” Walton said. “We’re going to continue to work on them pre-practice. And after practice.
“Obviously we’re going to let our guys shoot threes because that’s part of the game. But we’re going to encourage attacking the paint until those numbers get a little better.”
Nance improving
Walton said that forward Larry Nance Jr., who suffered a broken bone in his left hand two weeks ago, had the cast removed and has resumed basketball activities.
“We’re hoping to get him back soon,” Walton said. “But we don’t know when that will be.”
Nance averaged 10.6 points in eight games before being sidelined in the third quarter of a game in Portland.
Up Next
LAKERS VS. PHOENIX SUNS
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m. PST.
On air: TV: SNN, Spectrum Deportes; Radio: 710, 1330.
Update: These teams met four days ago in Arizona, the Lakers rallying in the second half for their only win in their last five games. But the Suns, who gave up a league-worst 115 points a game through 15 games, are in an even deeper slide. They’d lost six of last seven entering Thursday’s game against the Houston Rockets.
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