5 Reasons Why Lakers' Rookie Lonzo Ball Is Not A Bust

It's hard to argue that the second pick of the 2017 NBA Draft is under more of a microscope than the guy that was taken before him, but that is the case for Los Angeles Lakers' point guard Lonzo Ball.

Having an outspoken father like LaVar Ball along with the fact that he's playing in Los Angeles means the good and bad will both be magnified. There has definitely been some good and bad in Lonzo's game in this young NBA season.

There have been triple-doubles, but there have also been four games where he has scored three points or less, including a zero-point effort against the Portland Trail Blazers on November 2nd.

While it is still way too early to judge whether or not Ball is a bust for the Lakers at the second overall draft position, there is some proof just 20 games into Ball's young career that he's not a bust.

This article will take a look at five reasons that stand out.

#5 The assist to turnover ratio is best among rookies

Lonzo has proven to have the ability to take care of the ball...

Assist to turnover ratio is a very important stat for a point guard. It shows how careful the player is with the ball; while being able to make plays for his team at the same time.

Through 20 games into the season, Ball has an assist to turnover ratio of 2.68; which is the best amount all qualified rookies in the NBA (played in 70% of the team's games on the season so far).

His assist to turnover ratio rank in the entire league is not bad either, as he is currently tied for 20th. If he increased his ratio by half of a point, he would be ranked in the top ten.

#4 Lakers are not far off from a playoff spot, a quarter into the season

The Lakers are 8-12 through the first 20 games of the season...

Considering the Lakers finished with the third-worst record in the NBA last season at 26-56, the fact that they are only one game out of a playoff spot nearing the quarter mark of the season is not bad.

Lakers are currently at 11th in the standings, not too far behind the eighth spot.

When you look at the fact that the Lakers do not have a superstar on their team, they are playing some decent basketball at times, and if they consistently improve, they could fight for one of the last playoff spots on the season; which would be considered a surprise to many.

#3 He's recorded two triple-doubles on the season already

Lonzo Ball's first of two triple-doubles on the season came against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 11th...

Lonzo Ball is one of only five NBA players to record two or more triple-doubles on the season. Ball currently has two. The first one came on November 11th against the Milwaukee Bucks and the second was against the Denver Nuggets on November 19th.

Ball joins some good company on the list of five players with two or more triple-doubles; which includes James Harden, LeBron James, and Ben Simmons who all have two. Russell Westbrook leads the league with a total of six triple-doubles.

#2 His assist and rebound totals are great

Lonzo Ball is not that far off from averaging a triple-double...

Focusing on his assists once again, we look at the totals per game coupled with his rebounding ability for a point guard. Through the first 20 games of Ball's career, he's averaging 7.1 APG and 7.8 RPG.

The assists rank seventh in all of the NBA with James Harden leading the way at 9.8 APG. An even better stat is the rebounding. Among point guards, he is third in the league trailing only Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons (who happens to qualify at point guard, small forward and power forward currently).

A slight improvement across the board for Ball means he could be close to averaging a triple-double. The only stat that is truly lacking is points per game where he only has 8.7. For comparison's sake, he averaged 14.6 PPG at UCLA.

#1 Steph Curry and Kevin Durant believe in him

Steph Curry and Kevin Durant square off against Lonzo Ball Wednesday night...

Lonzo Ball will face Steph Curry and Kevin Durant for the first time in his career on Wednesday evening when the Los Angles Lakers take on the Golden State Warriors on NBA TV.

NBA writer for ESPN, Chris Haynes, wrote an article today which talks about the respect that Curry and Durant have for Ball. Curry would say the following:

"I've always said he's a great talent. I think he loves to play basketball, so he'll be able to fight through all that and have a great career. I hope you didn't judge me off my first 20 games in the league."

Durant would also talk about Ball with the following quote:

"Lonzo is just playing like a rookie, as far as learning the game, finding the ins and outs of the game," Durant said. "It's slowing down for him. Picking and choosing his spots. He's still figuring it out. He's 19? That's what any 19-year-old would go through in the pros. It's just a matter of him being in L.A., where the eyes and scrutiny are on him. He's playing like he should play as far as learning the game and adjusting on the fly."

To have that high of praise from two of the best in the league definitely speaks volumes that the Los Angeles Lakers didn't bust on their second overall pick this year.