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Lonzo Ball posts another triple-double. Could he average one this season?

lakers July 14, 2017
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Following an awful debut, Lakers rookie point guard Lonzo Ball has been stuffing the stat sheet, collecting a pair of triple-doubles along the way.

In the NBA Summer League’s Round of 16 against the Cavaliers Thursday night, Ball posted 16 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds while rocking a pair of James Harden’s signature Adidas kicks.

He is now averaging 15.5 points, 9.3 assists and 8.3 rebounds so far in four games in Las Vegas.

Ball’s vision and unselfishness have become infectious and he is creating so many easy baskets for his teammates in transition.

In an up-tempo system without many bigs on the floor Lonzo is also able to scoop up long rebounds and immediately initiate the break.

But Ball’s jumper hasn’t been there and he’s struggled from distance.

When opposing guards go under on screen and rolls, Ball has been hesitant to launch and hasn’t shown the ability to break defenders down off the bounce with any regularity.

Looking at Ball’s numbers so far in Summer League and taking into account his obvious potential, is it far-fetched to think he could one day average a triple double?

Let’s break this down.

If the Lakers surround Ball with talented wings, he could rack up 12 to 15 assists per game in Luke Walton’s pace and space system.

The Lakers will very likely play with one big on the floor for most of the game and Ball, at 6 foot 5 inches, should be able to collect a number of long rebounds.

He is also a capable shooter who should be able to make three to four threes per game by his sophomore season.

Oh, and he can block shots too if he needs to.

The short answer: yes. Ball might not average a triple-double in the 30-10-10 Westbrook mold but I could see him averaging 15-12-10 on the next great Lakers team.

Lonzo Ball is a revolutionary player who might change the way point guards in the NBA play the game.

We’re hype to watch him next season.

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