"Sometimes he doesn't realize how great he is," was LeBron James inadvertent message of support for teammate Lonzo Ball following their 90-83 win over the Utah Jazz. In his post-game interview, you got the sense LeBron James can be a patient man, so long as he isn't held responsible when things fall to pieces. We owe this Lakers' group a chance to prove their mettle, and of all his teammates, LeBron seems to think Lonzo has the most upside.
"The things that he possesses out on the floor, when Zo realizes how good he is on the floor," Lebron continued. It makes him a very dynamic player and it makes us even better. And he's been doing that as of late, (with) his aggressiveness."
Although Lonzo Ball's 9 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists against the Jazz don't scream "breakout performance," it was his cool and collected manner down the stretch that helped his Lakers' side mitigate their turnovers on their way to a comfortable win. The Lakers' outscored the Jazz 26-20 in the final quarter, of which Lonzo played all 12 minutes.
"He missed a couple of 'em; that's absolutely fine. He had a couple charges; that's absolutely fine," LeBron said in his mid-game assessment of Lonzo's play. "When he's aggressive it just changes our dynamic of the team, and he's been doing it of late and we need him to continue to do that because he's very good."
Basketball like all other team sports played at this level, is a game of intangibles, just ask LeBron.