Lonzo Ball bounces back in Phoenix with a near triple double
Friday night’s matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers was a gunslinging shootout that featured two of the brightest young teams in the association. Behind a complete 180 from Lonzo Ball following a miserable debut against the Clippers, the Lakers were able to narrowly edge out the Suns 132-130.
Without a stifling defender like Patrick Beverley to shut him down, Ball rose to the occasion and milked the Suns sloppy defense for a near triple double. Bagging 29 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, the rookie playmaker epitomized the pace and space offense that head coach Luke Walton has so desperately tried to implement in his brief tenure as the Lakers play-caller.
Three point bombs, dizzying spin moves, and touch passes were all part of the night’s package for the highly touted Ball. He looked poised and in control when handed the rock and even threw in some last minute heroics to seal the deal over Phoenix.
If the Suns were looking to show that their record breaking opening night blowout was a fluke, they failed pitifully. Although their offense had little trouble ripping the cords for 130 points, had their defense been a ship, it surely would’ve sunk with the porous performance the put on display.
Red hot Devin Booker and the freight train of a point guard Eric Bledsoe posted a combined 53 points and 10 assists, but remained a major handicap on the other side of the ball. While former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler has the ability to patrol the paint for easy swats here and there, he no longer posses the necessary athleticism or foot speed to keep up with today’s small ball lineups.
Looking at Los Angeles and Phoenix, the two mirror each other in nearly every way. Both house rosters with the potential to wreck havoc on the league, and there’s no doubt that their young players contain the potential to become game breakers. However, if their veterans continue to come up short on showing their talent the ropes, the promising franchises can only hope for mediocrity with little to no leadership.
