Lonzo Ball - Defensive Dynamo (GREAT HANDS)

Lonzo Ball has GREAT and very active hands. You can should be able to see it every time you watch him play. He’s a true (albeit skinny) 6’6” point guard with a natural feel for the game. The passes he was making in college reminded many of another big pure point guard from the Cali area: Jason Kidd. The Hall of Famer finished as a prolific rebounder (not just for a guard), second on the all-time assist list, but also second on the all-time steals list. He was a dynamic a defender as they came. That’s not to say that Lonzo doesn’t deserve that kind of comparison, but it’s an extremely high bar to meet. Zo certainly showed flashes of being a great defender in year 1. His hands are strong, his length is bothersome, and he’s got great timing at coming over weak side to create chaos and sometimes block shots. According to ESPN’s defensive real plus/minus, Zo2 finished the season ranked third overall among point guards (better than Jrue Holiday, Ricky Rubio, Marcus Smart, Chris Paul, and Ben Simmons). That isn’t to say it’s a metric that tells the whole story, but it does help hammer home what the eye test should already tell you. What I’ve done for those that are interested is to compare the rookie seasons of Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Lonzo, and Ricky Rubio. The first two being a “what if everyone was right about this kid? and he absolutely maximizes ALL of his potential?” and the Rubio comparison being a steady and consistent, if slightly disappointing career. In terms of defensive rebounding (5.6 rebounds per), he lines right up with Magic. He’s got the highest number of total blocks (43, compared to Magic’s 41 and Kidd’s 24), but is the lowest among the 4 in steals per game. Not that blocks and steals are even a good metric for defense, but you can tell watching all the guys mentioned that they don’t really gamble a whole lot. They use their smarts until the right time to make a good play. https://www.basketball-reference.com/... https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2... If you'd like to support: Venmo - @Evin_Gual Cash App - $EvinGual Patreon -   / evin_gual