LOS ANGELES_After almost every game he plays, Lonzo Ball puts himself through it one more time. He and his manager, Darren Moore, watch the games again to see what could have gone better.
"It's just me and my man D-Mo," Ball said. "We definitely break it down, us two. We talk about it, see what we could've worked on. ... Just to see where we messed up at, what we did well, what we didn't do as well. We come back in the morning and watch it again with (coach) Luke (Walton)."
His private film sessions serve as a precursor to the Lakers' daily film sessions. And while he is one of the youngest players on the Lakers' roster, Ball is learning to assert his voice and offer his thoughts in those group meetings.
"It's definitely an adjustment but we have a very young team," Ball said. "I just turned 20, BI (Brandon Ingram) just turned 20. We're asked to do a lot. You just gotta grow up fast and step up to the plate."
The only time Ball and Moore skipped their ritual was after the Lakers played the Philadelphia 76ers. Ball had his worst game of the season and had no desire to watch it again. Walton said after the game that Ball had an off night.
His games against Milwaukee (his first career triple-double), Detroit and his first game against Phoenix (a near-triple-double in which Ball scored 29 points) were much more enjoyable to re-watch than that game would have been.
Wednesday night's game against the Golden State Warriors wasn't too shabby either.
"The difference when he's out there pushing the ball, whether he's shooting it or just he's creating that pace for us by throwing the ball ahead, is everything for our team's success," Walton said. "And when he's doing that and he's getting in the paint and getting us into our offense early we're just such a better team.
"And then obviously making those threes was nice, I said after the game last night, he's been shooting lights out in practice for the last week, two weeks, getting his work in with Miles (Simon). So it wasn't surprising to see those threes go in, but it's always good to see the hard work paying off for the young guys."
