Using Advanced Stats to Determine Who the Better Ball Brother is
Lonzo and LaMelo Ball made NBA history last year, being the first set of brothers selected top-5-overall in the NBA Draft. With Zo in his fourth year and Melo as a rookie, it’s easy to see the similarities in their games. They’re both Point Guards (and relatively tall for the position), have flashy play styles, and make their teams better.
That last point is the focus of this article. I’ll be using advanced stats (all from the regular season), such as Offensive & Defensive Ratings and Win Shares, to figure out who the better Ball brother is.
Offensive/Defensive Ratings
Both LaMelo and Lonzo impact their teams with their great play on both ends of the floor, but Zo edges out Melo in both offensive and defensive ratings. However, Melo‘s usage rate under Hornets head coach James Borrego is 26.1%, while Zo’s is 20.5% under Stan Van Gundy.
Points Generated by Assists
Both brothers are effective facilitators for their teams and are surrounded by respectable shooters in a “run-and-gun” offense. Melo, who has Terry Rozier, Cody Zeller, Devonte Graham, and Miles Bridges around him, has a higher amount of points from assists than Zo, who has Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Eric Bledsoe on his squad.
Plus/Minus (On-Court & Box) & Win Shares
An overlooked stat, the Plus/Minus category is a way of measuring how well a player’s team does when he is on the floor. Lonzo outperforms LaMelo in this category significantly, even though the Pelicans finished with a 31–41 record and the Hornets secured a Play-in spot, going 33–39.
Conversely, Win Shares measure the impact individual players had in their team’s win. Basketball-Reference states, “[I]t is calculated using player, team and league-wide statistics and the sum of player win shares on a given team will be roughly equal to that team’s win total for the season.”
Assist, True Shooting, & Turnover Percentages
LaMelo and Lonzo are both gifted passers and can shoot rather well. Surprisingly, LaMelo outdoes Zo in both of these categories, which could be attributed to the fact that he is used more on the young Hornets team. Unfortunately, Melo also has a higher turnover percentage than his brother, and ball security is key on a team that buzzes (pun intended) up and down the floor.
Conclusion
In summary, LaMelo has proven to be the better Ball Brother, even though Lonzo contributes more to the Pelicans’ wins. Melo also holds bragging rights of leading his team to the Play-in Tournament, while Lonzo’s Pelicans were eliminated yet again. Keep in mind that both of them missed a plethora of games with various injuries, so they’re only equal in their inability to play a full season.
There may be no “i” in “Team”, but Kobe was right to point out there’s an “M-E” there too.
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