Lonzo Ball draws outsized attention because his father, LaVar Ball, lures onlookers and because the rookie plays for the high-profile Los Angeles Lakers.
So, when Lonzo gets a triple-double – like his 11-points, 16-rebound, 11-assists game against the Nuggets yesterday – it draws scrutiny.
Mo Dakhil of The Jump Ball:
I think the NBA needs to have a discussion with the Lakers' scorers. These are not assists. Lonzo had a good game regardless and I think he'll be a good player but they shouldn't be padding his stats. pic.twitter.com/hFwG84GWUT
— Mo Dakhil (@MoDakhil_NBA) November 20, 2017
The NBA defines an assist as a “pass that directly leads to a basket. … An assist can be awarded for a basket scored after the ball has been dribbled if the player’s pass led to the field goal being made.”
I wouldn’t describe either of those passing as leading directly to a basket. Ball’s teammates each hold the ball for a moment after receiving the pass then take two dribbles against set defenses.
But assists are subjective, and the Lakers aren’t alone in offering a home-court scorekeeping advantage.
Kyle Neubeck of Philly Voice
In the interest of fairness, I went through the database to see if any Simmons assists were scored similarly to those Ball ones. I clearly have a different view of assists than team scorers. pic.twitter.com/bUDwEjFEB6
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) November 20, 2017
So, criticize/laugh at the Lakers. But your favorite team probably manipulates assists in its favor, too.
