3. Lonzo Ball
At this point, I know that Kuzma is going to score at least 15 points per game. I know that Josh Hart is going to give 100% effort the entire game. I also know that Ingram’s going to put up a lot of off-the-dribble shots every time he plays. I can expect a certain type of playing style from Kuzma, Hart, and Ingram, but game-to-game it’s hard to know which Lonzo’s going to show up.
Lonzo’s going to play hard every night, just like Hart. He leads the team in deflections with 2.5 per game and he’s become an excellent defender. He has the highest ceiling out of every player, not named LeBron, on the Lakers, but he also has the lowest floor. Ball could become a top-10 player in the NBA or he could turn into a worse version of Ricky Rubio.
Most people think that Lonzo is a weak finisher at the rim, but that not true at all. He shoots 59 percent within 5 feet of the rim, better than Ingram, Lance Stephenson, and Rajon Rondo. See how he compares to some other young guards in the NBA.
De’Aaron Fox: 61% within 5 feet
Dennis Smith Jr.: 57% within 5 feet
Luka Doncic: 56% within 5 feet
Trae Young: 53% within 5 feet
Jamal Murray: 56% within 5 feet
Gary Harris: 52% within 5 feet
Devin Booker: 59% within 5 feet
Lonzo’s probably never going to be a great outside shooter, but he’s learning to get to the rim and he’s finishing better than almost every young guard in the league when he gets to the rack.
Lonzo’s already a great defender, an amazing passer, and he plays hard, but he doesn’t consistently stay aggressive. Some games he gets to the basket six or seven times and then other games he doesn’t drive down the lane once, instead he jacks up bad 3-pointers.
I mentioned in Part 1 how much “Playoff Rondo” could positively affect the Lakers, but if Lonzo comes out every night in attack-mode he can have a much bigger impact than Rondo because right now Lonzo is better than Rajon. If Ball learns how to keep attacking offensively throughout the game, he could really help the Lakers win a lot of games.
The question is: Will Lonzo ever learn how to stay fully engaged on offense? Will he ever come out every night looking to attack, just like the great point guards in the NBA?