Lamelo Ball entered the NBA with the same reputation as his older brother Lonzo. He’s already a transcendent passer at the age of 19, but the rest of his offensive game needs work. Both were true in his prison opener against the Toronto Raptors, as the ball missed all eight of his attempts, five off the field and three off the line, but with some pretty exciting passes made for him you’ll never see. Not a naughty one.
The night play was the back gem in the transition that made two easy Miles Bridge points.
The difference between Lamelo and Lonzo at this stage in his career, however, comes almost exclusively in Lonzo’s excellent work transition, while Lamelo is a state-of-the-art creator, using his advanced size and ultimate ability to draw defenders. Companions.
That combination is what made him No. 3 in the NBA Draft. Half-court passing has more functional utility, but its “blink-and-miss you out” outlet pass makes practically free points.
Precision qualifiers must be attached. It will be very difficult for Ball to do so when the offense plays him as a passer instead of a scorer. As Lonzo has learned, it is more difficult to set up teammates when you find yourself going scoreless. But Lamelo’s vision and creativity at his age is boring. He has the potential to be an excellent mentor in the NBA. He needs to develop the rest of the game to take advantage of it.
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