Lonzo Ball’s Fit With Lakers Isn’t Perfect, But It’s Good Enough For Now
All signs point to the Los Angeles Lakers taking UCLA’s Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the draft. How does he fit in L.A.?
Before we get things started, let’s get one thing straightened out: there is absolutely zero chance the Los Angeles Lakers take anyone but Lonzo Anderson Ball with the second pick in the NBA draft on June 22. The storyline is too perfect for them not to.
A kid from L.A. (er, around L.A.) that single handedly brought UCLA’s historic college basketball program back from the dead getting drafted by his hometown Lakers with the second overall pick in the draft? Are you freaking kidding me? This could be the best story since Derrick Rose was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2008.
Feel-good stories alone aren’t enough to get someone drafted second overall though. Ball earned the right to be considered a top-three pick during his record-breaking one-and-done season with the Bruins.
The 274 assists Ball dished out this past season not only broke the Pac-12’s 30-year-old freshman assist record set by Gary Payton in 1987, but it also broke UCLA’s all-time assist record. There’s a reason he’s drawn comparisons to Jason Kidd this early in his career.
Unlike Kidd, however, Ball shot the lights out in college. His shot, while unorthodox, got the job done for him as he averaged 14.6 points per game while shooting above 40 percent from deep (and when I say deep, I mean deep).
His game was tailor-made for the modern NBA. The question is, does he fit into what Luke Walton is trying to build in Los Angeles with the Lakers?
Offensively, the fit could not be better. I mean, I guess it could, but beggars can’t be choosers. Ball would come in and make his teammates better almost immediately. Granted, every point guard taken in this draft will probably tell you the same thing, but Ball has the numbers to back it up.
Before Ball arrived at UCLA, they were ranked No. 116 out of 351 teams in offensive rating. Last season, they were ranked first, thanks in no small part to their leading man. UCLA’s high-octane offense wouldn’t have ran like the well-oiled machine it did during the regular season if it were not for Ball’s stellar passing in transition.
His size for a point guard, standing 6-foot-6 in shoes, makes it easier for him to grab defensive rebounds. Once he has the ball in his hands, his quick decision making allows him to make passes very few NBA players can make.
If Ball’s not making those full court outlet passes, he’s taking it all the way to the basket for an easy layup. If his speed can translate to the NBA game, he’ll have no problem getting those easy buckets in transition.
If Ball’s not running the break, he’s going to have a hard time getting to the rim. In college, Ball showed a reluctance to attack the basket in halfcourt sets. Perhaps that will change once his thin 190 pound frame fills out, but right now it’s a problem for him.
It’s an even bigger problem because outside of attacking the rim and shooting deep 3-balls, Ball’s offensive game is extremely limited. His shooting mechanics make it damn near impossible for him to pull up from midrange so he often settles for low percentage floaters in the lane. On a team that is pick and roll heavy like the Lakers, he’s going to struggle creating his own offense.
Fortunately, he won’t have to be the Lakers’ go-to guy on the offensive end. The Lakers already have D’Angelo Russell, who can score from almost anywhere on the floor when he’s locked in. Russell will likely move over to shooting guard to make room for Ball in the backcourt, allowing him to focus on scoring instead of being the team’s lone facilitator.
In fact, Russell might benefit from Ball’s presence the most next season. Four of UCLA’s perimeter players shot above 40 percent from behind the arc last season, including T.J. Leaf, Byrce Alford and Aaron Holiday. If Ball can find Russell the same way he found his teammates, Russell might be in for a breakout year.
Ball will also benefit from having teammates like Russell to set him up as well. Because of the way he shoots, Ball needs a ton of room to get his shot off. He usually creates space by stepping back and pulling up from wherever he lands. While that has worked for him so far, there’s reason to be skeptical about how it will work at the next level.
Having another guard that can make plays at a high level will help Ball get his shots off while he figures out other ways to make an impact offensively his rookie season. Down the road, LA’s backcourt could look similar to what Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have going in Portland right now, which is a good thing and a bad thing.
Defensively, they’re going to struggle a whole lot with Ball. Assuming they roll out a lineup with Ball, Russell, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac, there is going to be no one to help hide Ball’s defensive deficiencies, mostly because they haven’t even figured out how to address their own.
The Lakers allowed a league-worst 110.3 points per 100 possessions last season, which is only going to get worse if Russell doesn’t improve on the defensive end. Russell has the size and strength to defend 1s and 2s, but his slow footspeed often leads to him getting beat. With Ball, it’s the exact opposite. Ball is quick enough to stick with his defender, but his thin frame will make it extremely hard for him to go under screens. They already have a similar problem with Ingram.
For the Lakers, they’re banking on their young players to reach their defensive potential. With the exception of Randle, who has arms like a T-Rex, L.A.’s young core is athletic and long enough to become above average defenders in the NBA. Ball is no exception, with a nearly 7-foot wingspan.
If they can cash in on their defensive potential, their offensive firepower might be enough to sneak them into the playoffs with Ball running the show. If they don’t, the 76ers will have another top-three pick to add to their already scary young core.
Ball’s fit with the Lakers isn’t perfect, but it’s no more or less perfect than anyone else Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka would consider with the second pick. For a rebuilding team like the Lakers, they need to take the best talent available and it would be really hard to argue that Ball is not the second best player in the draft after Markelle Fultz. He’s a phenomenal playmaker with nice shooting range and a work ethic that rivals everyone on the Lakers. Ball’s fit with the Lakers isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough for now.
