The absence of LeBron James and Rajon Rondo has forced the Los Angeles Lakers to rely almost solely on their young core to be the creators on offense.
Much of that responsibility has fallen to Lonzo Ball who has had the ball in his hands far more often and is taking advantage of it. In the Lakers’ first two games without LeBron, Ball has averaged 19.5 points and nine assists, being far more aggressive overall offensively.
Working as the primary facilitator means that Ball has worked more in the pick-and-roll recently. “We want him to continue to grow that part of his game,” Lakers head coach Luke Walton noted.