The Lonzo Ball Experience and Experiment
It has been an eventful half-decade or so for the Los Angeles Lakers, and not all for the better: the Achilles’ tear and eventual retirement of Kobe Bryant, the failed Dwight Howard and Steve Nash experiments, disappointing draft picks and free agents (who were usually overpaid and/or past their prime), and turmoil in the Buss family. Drastic changes had to be made in the front office, with the firing of Mitch Kupchak and Jim Buss, and the arrival of Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka, as president and GM, respectively, as well as Jim’s sister Jeanie taking over as owner. Finally, there was some good off-season news, with the addition of LeBron James as a free-agent, almost universally regarded as the best player in the NBA, and easily one of the best players of all time. LeBron follows in a long lineage of major player signings and/or trades in Lakers history, joining Wilt, Kareem, Shaq, and Kobe (originally drafted by the Charlotte Hornets). Sandwiched between all of that drama and turnover has been the arrival of Lonzo Ball, and the Ball family, who were deemed as something of the NBA’s equivalent to the Kardashians. Lonzo Ball has boundless potential and has shown flashes of greatness. The Chino Hills native and basketball prodigy has been an intriguing storyline for his hometown Lakers, both good and bad.
The Good
First, let's start off with the good: Lonzo Ball has decent athleticism and has shown explosiveness and leaping ability at times. He can accelerate to the rim once he gets a full of steam. He has an innate ability to find the open man, whether on the run or in the paint. His rebounding and defense are also above-average for his position. He is a walking triple-double threat any time he is on the court. Ball has posted some impressive defensive numbers and performances against elite point guards such as Russell Westbrook, Mike Conley, Damian Lillard, Kemba Walker, and Goran Dragic. He even played good defense when switched on Blake Griffin in a win versus the Detroit Pistons. He has built impressive consecutive games in important victories against Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder. On Tuesday, Ball had one of his most complete games against the Bulls, with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals (8-17 FG, 3-7 3-PT). He showcased a runner, floater, and got in a rhythm from three-point range. Against the Thunder on Thursday, he followed up with another stat-stuffer of 18 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal (7-17 FG, 4-10 3-PT). He also got in a nice rhythm at times from deep, and in OT, he scored five key points, including a 3-pointer from well beyond the line. Ball actually has proven himself to be a clutch three-point shooter this season for the Lakers.