Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Of course, no one was more spectacular than the media darling, Lonzo Bal. The Lakers point guard teased fans, and pleased critics, with an abysmal performance in his first summer league game before flipping the narrative and earning MVP while leading his team to a title. How’s that for a Hollywood script?
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Ball electrified crowds with dazzling passes, proving his court vision, touch and basketball intellect is ready for the NBA game. His final stat line read 16.3, a summer-league leading 9.3 assists, 7.7 rebounds and 2.5 steals. His passing ability was off the charts, tossing two long bombs from across half court on consecutive plays at one point. Scouts compare his potential to Jason Kidd, but he looked more like John Stockton with the touch he displayed this week.
Yes, it’s summer league. But his performance stands up to those of Russell Westbrook and John Wall from when they were in summer league. Actually, it demolishes them.
What might have been most impressive thing about Ball was the way handled the circus that surrounded him Vegas. He played the crowd and seemed at ease with all the attention. You didn’t even need to be a Ball fan to appreciate what you saw.
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Ball will undoubtedly be a polarizing figure, in part because of his boneheaded father (or is he a marketing genius). If summer league is any indication, Ball will be at the center of the NBA discussion even in a league stuffed with stars. But it appears he is ready.