Lonzo Ball may have seen his opportunity with the Los Angeles Lakers come and go, but maybe that will actually be the best thing for him in the long run.
Now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, Ball had this to say about his new fit:
“I'm getting back to playing the style I've played my whole life,” said Ball, according to Scott Kushner of The Times-Picayune. “I'm very comfortable.”
Ball was traded to the Pelicans as part of a deal that sent Anthony Davis to the Lakers.
The 21-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at UCLA, was originally selected by Los Angeles with the second overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft.
He went on to play in just 52 games during his rookie year due to a knee injury, averaging 10.2 points, 7.2 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals over 34.2 minutes per game while shooting 36.0 percent from the floor, 30.5 percent from 3-point range and an abysmal 45.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Ball was then limited to just 47 contests this past season as a result of ankle issues and didn't seem to make any sort of progression when he was on the floor, registering 9.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.3 boards and 1.5 steals across 30.3 minutes a night while making 40.6 percent of his field goal attempts, 32.9 percent of his long-distance tries and a horrific 41.7 percent of his foul shots.
Now, Ball is entering a situation with far less pressure, as he is joining one of the smallest markets in the league in New Orleans rather than playing for one of the biggest markets in Los Angeles. The Pelicans also plan on playing an uptempo style, which plays to Ball's strengths as a playmaker.
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