The Los Angeles Lakers were a major disappointment on Thursday night in their most highly-anticipated season opener in years, and head coach Luke Walton felt the fans reacted accordingly.
During their 108-92 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers heard some boos. Considering how poorly his team played, Walton was not surprised.
“I wasn’t happy with what we gave our fans tonight,” he said, via Jeff Miller of the Orange County Register. “Obviously, I heard there were some boos going around on. You know, we deserved it at those times.”
The biggest story of the night, obviously, was Lonzo Ball. The rookie was shut down by Clippers guard Patrick Beverley. Ball shot just 1-of-6 from the field and finished with three points, four assists and nine rebounds. Beverley taunted him on the court numerous times and took shots at him after the game, too.
“Overall, it was a decent game for him,” Walton said of Ball.
It sure didn’t feel that way. Lakers fans are expecting huge things from Ball. Magic Johnson comparisons have already been thrown around, though Ball’s father LaVar is responsible for much of the anticipation surrounding his son. Johnson, the new president of basketball operations for the Lakers, said situations like the one on Thursday night are the reason the team drafted Ball.
“This is why you lace ’em up,” Johnson said. “This is why he wanted to get drafted to the Lakers. This is why we picked him, so we could put him in those types of games and those situations.”
Of course, LaVar Ball had to make headlines after the game by blasting Beverley. You have to wonder if that will get old, especially if the Lakers continue to struggle. You also have to wonder if it will result in fans booing louder if Lonzo doesn’t play like the Rookie of the Year many expect him to be. Walton is almost certainly prepared for that in the back of his mind.
