Los Angeles Lakers News: Hall of Fame point guard Isiah Thomas is high on rookie point guard Lonzo Ball.
Lonzo Ball‘s name has popped up in recent Los Angeles Lakers news. Ball has been the topic of discussion around the basketball world for months. He is one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory. That is partly due to his father, LaVar Ball, but also because of his skill set and potential.
Ball is one of the best point guard prospects we have seen in a while from a passing standpoint. His passing skills are elite. He is a willing distributor, almost to a fault at times. Ball’s floor vision is also at an elite level and he likes getting his teammates involved offensively.
There have been differing opinions on the level that Ball can take his game. There is no denying that Ball has the chance to become a great player. His ceiling is very high given his skill set, but some people worry about if he will realize that potential.
A lot of people will point to his shooting form. Ball has an unorthodox shot release, but we have seen players succeed in the NBA with odd-looking shooting forms. People believe that his father, LaVar, is writing checks with his mouth that Lonzo won’t be able to check.
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However, for each doubter that Ball has, he has a supporter. His teammates love playing with him, and rightfully so. Who wouldn’t enjoy getting the ball in position to score?
A number of players have spoken up in defense of Ball. The latest to do so is Hall of Fame point guard, Isiah Thomas. Thomas made an appearance on FoxSport 1’s “First Things First” and spoke about Ball. He is high on the potential of Ball and preached patience, saying he is not a bust.
"“I think he’s going to be a star in the slow-making. It’s always difficult to come into Los Angeles and be what Magic Johnson was at 19. That very rarely happens. But where he’s at right now and where he’s progressing, he’s touching every box on the stat sheet. He rebounds, he assists, he’s a great teammate. I’ve never heard any of his teammates complaining about him. Whether he was in high school, at UCLA, even now. … His shot will get better, his free-throw shooting will get better, he’ll learn how to score in the NBA. He’s doing all the hard things right now in terms of defending, rebounding and assisting. So, no, he’s not a bust.”"
There is no denying that Ball has had his struggles. His expectations have been set sky high as well by LaVar, some fans and even Magic Johnson, who said he is the new face of the Lakers. As a result, there will be some people that want to see him fail and will pick him apart when he doesn’t have a great game.
Ball has some holes in his game right now, his shooting the most apparent among them. Ball’s shooting percentages aren’t pretty .319/.243/500 shooting split. However, he has done a lot to make up for the poor shooting, averaging 7.0 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game. His defense has also been strong, averaging 1.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game.
It will take some time for Ball to reach his potential. Very few young players come into the league and dominate right away. Ball is providing plenty of positives thus far this season and looks to be on the right road in terms of his development.
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Thomas knows what it takes for a player to reach their potential, and believes Ball has what it takes.