How the Roster Changes Will Impact Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball comes into his second season in the NBA with questions that will need to be answered. Will he be able to score from deep consistently? Will he become more effective as a half-court scorer? Can he bulk up? While he appears to have added muscle to his frame, the other two questions won’t be answered until the season starts, but the arrival of LeBron James should help him.
Both Ball and James will feed off of each other exceptionally well as they will be able to find each other off of cuts, off-screens, and when vacating open space in situations like spot-up and transition. Regardless, it will be important that the progress that Ball made with his jumper as the year went on sustains. The game will be simplified for Ball, and it will be up to him to finish the plays.
There will be less pressure for Lonzo to be the primary initiator of the team’s half-court offensive playmaking sequences and that should help his development, particularly in the pick-and-roll. The game will slow down for him as time goes on and it will be beneficial for him to have better talent around him and easier situations will only help that process.
Something that is indeed worth noting is that Lonzo’s basketball IQ is only going to get better playing with James and Rajon Rondo, two of the best playmakers of the last decade on his roster. They are both known to make some incredible reads as passers, and that could inspire impressive results from a player like Ball, who can fire off some incredibly quick passes of his own.
Ball’s rebounding and defense as a point guard were among the league’s best last season, and that will make him a valuable contributor to this year’s squad. In fact, it is safe to say that his presence in those areas was sorely missed by scouts coming into his rookie year. Even though the injury bug is a bit of a concern, a better supporting group will help the value of Lonzo’s contributions in these areas shine through.
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