Los Angeles Lakers center Tyson Chandler gave young point guard Lonzo Ball some tall praise, comparing him to none other than one of the game's best passers — his former teammate Jason Kidd.
“As far as the way you can impact the game, the only guy I played with like that is Jason Kidd, because he didn’t have to score,” Chandler said of Ball, according to Kevin Ding of Lakers.com. “He could just control the game with his passing, by his playmaking, by his rebounding, by his defense. Floor general. I think those are what Lonzo’s capabilities are. He has to go there.”
Ball has progressed from a woeful-shooting rookie season, but he has a long climb ahead, given his constant struggles from the field, long-range, and the free-throw line.
“He’s finding himself right now,” said Chandler of his young teammate. “This is all different territory. Playing with me, playing with Rondo, playing with LeBron. It’s all different territory for a young guy trying to find his voice. So, I just try to encourage him to be himself.”
Ball is adjusting to a LeBron-centric system and having to play off the ball for the first time in his life, given his choice of the point guard position from an early age.
His passing instincts haven't been diminished by this change, but his efficiency surely hasn't been aided by getting the ball taken out of his hands, still shooting under 40 percent from the field (36 percent in rookie year), along with a ghastly 30.9 percent from deep and a horrid 51.9 percent from the foul line.
Ball has been a factor on defense due to his length, but while his vision and playmaking ability could compare to Kidd, he's still far from the jump the former champion achieved from his rookie season to his second in the league.
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