Los Angeles Lakers 2018-19 Player Grades: Lonzo Ball

– Positives

Due to the injury-shortened season it would leave many to believe that there weren’t positives for Lonzo this season. However, prior to all of the injuries the team suffered, the Lakers were the fourth seed in the Western Conference. One of the reasons for their success during that time was the play of Lonzo Ball.

While he did see his stats dip across the board per game, he played fewer minutes this season, and the Lakers obviously added a high usage rate player in LeBron James. While the stats per game might have dropped, Ball’s offensive rating actually went up a few points from his rookie season. In his second season, Ball had his offensive rating go up to a 100, which was a three-point increase.

One of the big criticisms of Ball in his rookie season was his shooting numbers. In his second season, Ball increased both his three-point and overall field goal percentage, which is certainly a good sign for him moving forward.

Where Ball really shined, however, was on the defensive end. As a rookie, Ball showed the ability to be a very good defender in the league. In his second season, Ball increased his defensive rating, and proved to be a key part of the Lakers’ defense this season.