Though Lonzo Ball's signing with the Chicago Bulls was well-received, there are still a number of basketball fanatics who are still at odds if the team made the right choice. As for one, some (especially those who have not paid attention) are still concerned about Ball's offensive game. Meanwhile, those who are aware of Ball's development are not sure if Ball is worth $85 million for four years.

The truth is, we can never really tell at this point in time if the Bulls made a mistake in signing Ball. We have to wait and see until the 2021-22 NBA season begins. But just for the kick of it, let's look at the pros and cons of Ball's game and come to a conclusion if he's the perfect guard for the Bulls.

Projecting Lonzo Ball's Impact on Bulls

Lonzo Ball, Bulls

Pros

With the recent signing of DeMar DeRozan to a three-year, $85 million, the Bulls now have some serious offensive power. Fans are well aware that DeRozan is one of the best mid-range scorers in the game today. Some have even compared him to the great Kobe Bryant. The Compton native will join forces with Zach LaVine who has turned into a complete offensive player. And of course, there's Nikola Vucevic who can go down and dirty in the paint and stretch the floor as well.

For all their offensive talent, they need someone who will feed them the ball, call the right plays, and ultimately make them better. Lonzo Ball is that player as the guard has is a natural playmaker with impeccable vision. This is what scouts saw during his high school and college days. And upon setting foot in the NBA, Ball showed off his gifts.

Apart from this, the transformation of Lonzo's shot has caught the attention of fans and critics. Gone are the days where he had that funky slingshot jumper. Ball's form looks “normal” by his standards and more than that, the numbers show how much he has improved. Last season, he shot a career-best 37.8 percent from deep and 41.4 percent from the field. He actually knocked down a total of 172 3-pointers which is more than the likes of Paul George (171), Kyrie Irving (152), Trae Young (136), Bradley Beal (130), among others. His shooting will be key as defenses will likely pounce on DeRozan, LaVine, and Vucevic.

 

Cons

At this point, there are only a few concerns regarding Ball. As mentioned, we have to wait for the regular season to pan out to come up with a firmer conclusion. The concern lies around Ball's offensive game. While he has revamped his jump shot completely, Ball still seems hesitant to shoot his shot even when wide-open. Pelicans fans can attest to this. Ball has not shed off his tendency to overpass the rock. This will be a liability as it's expected that defenses will collapse on DeRozan or LaVine as noted. Ball will have a ton of open shots that he needs to take. Hopefully, the offseason has given him enough time to build up his confidence.

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, an A+ should be given to the Bulls for going after Ball and landing him. While all eyes were locked on contending teams and what their moves will be to further beef up their roster, the Bulls were able to snag one of the top guards in the market. In effect, we can say that the team is now at the advanced stage of rebuilding. Their acquisition of DeRozan fortified their offensive game. Their signing of Ball, as well as Caruso, solidified their point guard spot. As noted, it's still a matter of wait-and-see if everything will mesh properly.

The 2020-21 NBA season will give the Bulls more information as to what they need to do to further improve and take it to the next level. But as they stand, the Bulls look really good.