Lonzo Ball is a rookie and the thing about rookies is they make a lot of mistakes. This says nothing about their long-term future, it's just the nature of the beast. NBA veterans are physically and mentally more prepared than the average rookie to enter the NBA.
So it's no surprise when Ball makes a few bad plays for the Lakers -- it's inevitable. However, Ball doesn't want to hear anything about rookie mistakes. Ball made what he called "two dumb plays" toward the end of Los Angeles' 96-81 loss to the Jazz on Saturday night, and he blamed himself.
"Put this loss on me," Ball said. "We were coming back. Two dumb plays by me, and they got up.
It's impressive to see a rookie choosing to take such responsibility so early in his career, but this is unnecessary. Losses happen and it's a long 82-game season. Two plays of a full game are not enough to put the entirety of a loss on himself especially as a rookie.
Ball faces a unique pressure for a rookie. There's an expectation for him to be good immediately and in some ways he has met them. He has looked impressive at times and showed off a great skill set, but he's still young. Mistakes are going to happen and he's just going to have to live with and learn from them.
