24-year-old Lonzo Ball is only just starting out his NBA journey. But, already, he has made quite a bit of noise.
From his days over in L.A. as the ‘next great franchise great’ to his time as a confident veteran in New Orleans, ‘Zo has become come into his own as a point guard in the league.
And now, he a crucial part of the group breathing life back into Chicago basketball.
In a recent chat with Jackson Frank for Dime Magazine, the UCLA product talked about his past, and explained how he used his experience early on to help elevate his game to new heights:
“This is my third team in five years and every team’s been a different experience for myself. Obviously, coming to LA, I was a young kid with a lot of expectations put on me that I didn’t really live up to and then, got shipped off to New Orleans, where I worked on my game and improved the areas that needed the most help in. Now, I’m the player I am in Chicago, one of the key guys and trying to contribute every night in and night out.”
‘Zo is far from being a superstar player, but his importance to the Bulls this season cannot be understated. With averages of 12.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game on 44% shooting from beyond the arc, he plays a vital role on both ends of the floor.
He’s been so good this season, stars like Paul George have publicly called out the strides he had made.
“He just makes the game easy for everybody out there. I think where he made the best jump is him being able to shoot the ball. Before, you could kinda help off him, but he’s shooting the ball well, but his strengths… he plays defense, rebounds, kicks the ball ahead. “
It remains to be seen how Ball fits into Chicago’s grand plan moving forward, but he’s proving that he can be a player who impacts the game in a multitude of ways.
Ball, who was drafted 2nd overall in 2017, continues to impress the NBA community.
