James GordonEveryone says that the Bulls got better by signing Lonzo Ball. He’s a talented point guard with a bright future that can also score, and he gives the Bulls another big guard to play alongside Kris Dunn, who was acquired in the Jimmy Butler trade. But there’s a problem. The Bulls don’t have any defense. Here’s a chart that shows how the Bulls’ defense was ranked during the 2017-18 season.
Everyone knows that in the NBA, a team’s trade exception is the sum of all of its salary cap exceptions added together, and it is often a player’s salary that a team uses to sign his replacement. But what about the times when a team has no cap exceptions? Has the NBA ever had such a team?
As the Lakers prepare to welcome former UCLA point guard Lonzo Ball to Los Angeles, the consensus seems to be that the team made the right decision in drafting him second overall in the 2017 NBA Draft. But does he really deserve that label?. Read more about who does lonzo ball play for and let us know what you think.
Despite the fact that Lonzo Ball’s signing with the Chicago Bulls was well-received, some basketball fans are still divided about whether the club made the correct decision. For one thing, some people (particularly those who haven’t been paying attention) are worried about Ball’s offensive game. Meanwhile, many who follow Ball’s progress aren’t convinced whether he’s worth $85 million over the next four years.
The reality is, we’ll never know whether the Bulls made a mistake in signing Ball at this point in time. We’ll have to wait until the 2021-22 NBA season to find out. But, just for fun, let’s look at the positives and negatives of Ball’s game to see whether he’s the ideal guard for the Bulls.
The Impact of Lonzo Ball on the Bulls
Pros
The Bulls now have some significant offensive strength after signing DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million contract. DeRozan is one of the greatest mid-range scorers in the game today, as fans are well aware. Some have even likened him to Kobe Bryant, the legendary basketball player. The product of Compton will team up with Zach LaVine, who has developed into a complete offensive player. Nikola Vucevic, of course, can get his hands filthy in the paint and stretch the floor as well.
They need someone to give them the ball, call the correct plays, and eventually improve them, despite their offensive brilliance. Lonzo Ball is such talent, since he is a natural playmaker with exceptional vision. During his high school and college years, scouts saw this. Ball demonstrated his abilities as soon as he stepped into the NBA.
Apart from that, the evolution of Lonzo’s shot has piqued the interest of fans and critics alike. He’s no longer wearing that wacky slingshot jumper. Ball’s shape seems to be “normal” by his standards, and the statistics indicate how far he has progressed. He hit a career-high 37.8% from three-point range and 41.4 percent from the field last season. He made 172 three-pointers in total, which is higher than Paul George (171), Kyrie Irving (152), Trae Young (136), and Bradley Beal (130), among others. Defenses will undoubtedly pounce on DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic, so his shooting will be crucial.
Cons
There are just a few reservations about Ball at this time. As previously said, we will have to wait until the regular season to reach a more definitive decision. Ball’s offensive game is the source of worry. Despite the fact that he has totally altered his jump shot, Ball still seems reluctant to take his shot even when it is wide open. Fans of the Pelicans can testify to this. Ball hasn’t gotten rid of his proclivity for going over the edge of the ledge. This will be a problem because, as previously said, defenses are anticipated to collapse on DeRozan or LaVine. Ball will have a plenty of open shots to choose from. Hopefully, he has had enough time to regain his confidence over the summer.
The Bulls’ acquisition of Ball and Alex Caruso has given them credibility at the guard spot. But at the same time, it has placed them in a dilemma with regard to the young Coby White, their seventh overall pick from 2019 who has shown much promise in his first two seasons with them. Ball will obviously take the starting guard role. White will be relegated to the bench which makes sense at face value but looking at the long term, this may hamper his development. After all, the 21-year-old does have the talent to become a solid point guard in the NBA. To unveil his potential, he needs more playing time. It may be inevitable that the Bulls will part ways with White in the near future.
Overall, the Bulls get an A for going after Ball and landing him. While all eyes were on competing clubs and what changes they would make to bolster their rosters, the Bulls were able to acquire one of the best guards available. In fact, we can conclude that the squad is nearing the end of its rebuilding process. DeRozan’s addition bolstered their attacking capabilities. Ball’s and Caruso’s additions strengthened their point guard position. As previously said, it’s still a case of waiting and seeing whether everything comes together correctly.
The Bulls will learn more about what they need to do to develop and take their game to the next level during the 2020-21 NBA season. The Bulls, on the other hand, seem to be in great shape right now.
James Gordon
