Lonzo Ball had one of his more interesting games of the season in Detroit on Monday. With the Pelicans down four of their five regular starters not even including Zion Williamson, Ball was moved into a leadership role by necessity on the night.
The result was Ball finishing with a season-high 23 field goal attempts including nine from range. Ball was not his normally efficient self but still finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in the overtime win.
While one game offensive, defensive and net ratings are often full of extra noise, the Pelicans did have a 12.6 net rating in 46 minutes with him on the court and a -25.0 net rating in the six minutes he was off the court.
Ball also came up with some big plays in the extra session, finishing with five points and four rebounds in overtime. With New Orleans fighting for a playoff spot, the win was particularly important and continued a string of impressive wins in recent weeks as the team trends back toward .500 on the year.
