Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball was another player who, according to many fans, didn’t live up to the expectations associated with the #2 pick in the draft. In his two seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Ball averaged 10 points, 6.4 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game but was roundly criticized, especially for two perceived shortcomings:
- Lonzo played in just 60% of the team’s games (99 out of 164 Lakers games) due to various injuries. Many fans labeled him as injury-prone and soft.
- His shooting was well below average as he connected on just 38% from the field, 31.5% beyond the arc and a dismal 44% on free throws (an especially puzzling stat since he shot 67% from the line in his lone college season).
The trade gave Ball a fresh start in New Orleans, where he joined a somewhat crowded backcourt headed by the excellent but under-rated combo guard Jrue Holiday and sharpshooter J.J. Redick. Before he even played a game the Pels showed their confidence in him by exercising their team option for 2020-21.
As a Pelican, Lonzo’s per-game stats are similar or slightly improved from his Lakers days: 12.4 points, 7 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals. He also has continued to play good defense much as he had with LA.
He was injured early in the season, causing fans to proclaim “here we go again”. But he missed just six games then and overall played in 56 of the team’s 64 games (87.5%).
In addition, Ball’s shooting has shown significant improvement: 41% from the field, 38% on three-point attempts and 57% from the foul line. While neither his overall FG percentage nor his free throw accuracy are anything to brag about, his long-range accuracy has become more than respectable.
On a team with Ingram, Williamson and Holiday all scoring near or above 20 PPG, Lonzo doesn’t need to be a big-time scorer. Rather, the roles the Pels want him to fill are to be a distributor, to hit his wide-open outside opportunities and to play solid D. So far that’s exactly what he’s done. New Orleans is happy with his contributions and understands that he has not yet peaked.
Ball has benefited from playing on a young, developing team and being out of the harsh spotlight of his home area in LA. His grade is 4.