Lonzo Ball is one of the best role players in the league currently, playing at point guard for the Chicago Bulls. He is a capable complementary offensive player that is a fantastic passer and elite shooter.
Where Lonzo Ball truly stands out, though, is his defense. He is a lengthy, athletic, multi-positional defender that can guard almost any non-big player, and comfortably switches 1-3 and sometimes 4. At one point during the 2021-22 season, Lonzo Ball was even on track to become the first point guard to average 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks for an entire season.
Alex Caruso Is A Fan Of His Defensive Partnership With Lonzo Ball
Lonzo Ball is a key player for the Chicago Bulls due to his defensive abilities, and the team notably got worse on that end when he went out with a knee injury last season. He and Alex Caruso form the backbone of the Bulls’ defense when the team is fully healthy.
Alex Caruso has spoken about his defensive partnership with Lonzo Ball, claiming that they are both “top 5-10 guards in the league” when it comes to “on-ball defense”. Both players are certainly elite perimeter defenders, and this take from Caruso is certainly reasonable. Jamal Collier of ESPN relayed the news.
Defensively, me and him went like top 5-10 guards in the league, on ball defense.
The Chicago Bulls may be without Lonzo Ball for the start of the season, as he is considered “doubtful” to start the year because of “lingering pain and discomfort” in his left knee.
Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is expected to miss training camp and is doubtful for the start of the regular season due to lingering pain and discomfort following meniscus surgery on his left knee in January, sources told ESPN on Friday.
Hopefully, we see Lonzo Ball recover well and return quickly for the Chicago Bulls. However, his health is obviously the priority, and Ball should only return once he is fully healthy to avoid further aggravating the pain and discomfort currently present in his knee.
The Chicago Bulls do have some other players that could potentially provide an impact on the defensive end such as Ayo Dosunmu and Patrick Williams. Though neither is quite on Lonzo Ball’s level defensively, they are both lengthy athletes who are good when guarding perimeter players. The Bulls will need them to step up and help make up for Lonzo Ball’s absence, and they’ll hope that they don’t have to be without Lonzo Ball for long.
