I’m going to say it outright: Lonzo Ball will have a jersey hanging in Staples Center. He will have (at least 1) MVP trophy displayed in his (soon-to-be) sprawling mansion in Los Angeles. He will be a perennial NBA all-star selection. He will lead the Lakers to a championship, with or without the help of LeBron (although I hope he does come to LA!). Here’s why.
- Consistency is a telltale sign of a star. There is a large number of current and incoming NBA players who have the ability to go off once, twice, even ten times throughout the long NBA season. But what separates a Chris Paul from a Jeremy Lin? A Kobe Bryant from a Devin Booker (sorry Booker, but I had to). Many professional basketball players have the aptitude to drop 36 points, or grab 8 rebounds, or dish out 11 assists, but how many players can do all three on a consistent basis? Lonzo can, and has shown that they are commonalities. He previewed his consistent play throughout the Las Vegas Summer League. He has not had a “down” game yet, and he continues to meet his projection, his dad’s expectation, to be crowned the Rookie of the Year come the end of the 2017-18 season.
- Unmatched Vision – Lonzo is a different type of beast. He is definitely not the typical three-point shooting guard, or slashing wing player that we, as NBA viewers, often see, even expect, in today’s game. He’s no Stephen Curry in terms of shooting, he’s no Russell Westbrook in terms of explosiveness, but he’s a unique (may I even say better?) type of player: he looks to facilitate teammates’ scoring rather than trying to score himself. He can not be categorized as a scorer, a passer, a rebounder. Simply, he does everything. In this way, Ball looks to be the next Steve Nash or Jason Kidd—just a better, more upgraded version of those said former stars.
- Well-roundedness – And just what makes Lonzo better than Kidd and Nash? Well, Lonzo can score, shoot (as long as he’s not wearing his BBB shoes!), handle the ball, rebound, assist, steal, even block. Lonzo recorded the first triple-double ever in the NBA Summer League. That means he eclipsed LeBron, KD—every player who has ever passed through the Summer League—in terms of well-roundedness. That’s impressive.
- Intelligence on and off the court. Lonzo and his infamous father, Lavar, are undoubted geniuses. They have mastered the art of self-promotion. Lavar, with his ridiculous comments (which surprisingly, probably even to him, came true), and Lonzo, with his calm, but calculated composure, seems to be a poster family for the NBA. Firstly, Lonzo’s shoes. He refuses to sign a deal with any shoe brand, but decides to wear a pair of shoes from every major shoe company. Genius. Second, his own brand: BBB. Although he doesn’t play well in them (yet), by creating his own brand of shoes and clothing, Ball looks to promote, promote, promote, until the right deal comes along; maybe one day, the billion dollar deal for all three Ball boys will come around.