Never the one to hold back his thoughts, Kendrick Perkins fires off takes more rapidly than the Ball family fires off three-pointers. Unfortunately, his accuracy on those takes is similar to that of the Ball brothers’ three-point shooting.
In late December, Perkins labeled Lonzo Ball a bust during an appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, stating the guard was not a superstar and had not met the expectations that come along with being the No. 2 pick.
Since that comment, Ball has averaged 17.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 40.0% from three in eight games. Perkins, as a response, has started walking back his claim in record time. On Monday, Perkins first tweeted his apology.
On a return appearance of The Jump, Perkins reiterated his apology on Thursday.
Perkins’ apology is about as flimsy as his original claim. It’s also another reminder to not judge young players too quickly. While it is Ball’s third year in the league, he is only 22 years old. He also has had anything but a conventional start to his career due to his injuries.
Not every player progresses at the same rate either and progress is also not linear. While Ball has had his bumps along the way, he’s finally playing basketball at the level most expected when he entered the league. That came after starts and stops throughout his first two years. And even if Ball takes a step back after this strong play, it’s still progress forward and shouldn’t lead to him being labeled a bust.
