After the Pelicans’ loss to the Spurs was one of the final straws in the team officially being eliminated from playoff contention, much of the focus turned to Lonzo Ball’s poor play in the bubble. Ball’s struggles inside the bubble were a microcosm of the team’s as a whole.
Ball took to Twitter to vent on Sunday following the loss before owning up to his on-court shortcomings on Monday. Gentry already noted that the coaching staff hasn’t lost faith in him following the game and expanded on the cause for Ball’s struggles on Monday.
“I think is all so different to everyone,” he said. “I’m not worried about Zo. I know he’s going to be fine. I know when we line up to play again, he’s going to be okay. I know it’s frustrating for him because everyone wanted to come down here and play well and it just didn’t work out that way in some situation.
“I think the effort was there and he’s very good at trying to get everyone else involved. Yeah, he’s disappointed but I don’t think it’s anything I’d spend any time worrying about because I think he’s going to be fine.”
Ball has been a streaky player in each of his three seasons in the league. The difference in this season is that his hot streak prior to the break lasted the better part of 40 games. He also may have turned a corner in that span but it doesn’t change the fact that he is a streaky player by nature, as are most young players.
Ball’s work ethic has never been questioned and he’ll certainly get into the gym to work things out this summer. But it won’t take the sting of how he finished the season in the bubble.
