Lonzo Ball knows that with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans selected former Duke Blue Devils power forward Zion Williamson, who instantly changed the look of the Western Conference franchise. With Williamson bursting into the 2020-21 regular season, his first full go-round atop the highest level, the Pelicans superstar quickly made his way to his first career NBA All-Star Game while solidifying himself as a legitimate threat to the rest of the league.
Because Williamson has dominated — and then some — at every single level, it is hardly a surprise that he was able to do so at the NBA threshold as well. However, even with Williamson beginning to dominate the opposition en route to the NBA All-Star Game this past season, the Pelicans are still trying to build around the superstar big man.
New Orleans unfortunately did the opposite of that on Monday as the Pelicans notably dealt veteran point guard Lonzo Ball to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade. The Bulls then inked Ball to a four-year, $85 million contract as the former Los Angeles Lakers signal caller begins his tenure in the “Windy City.”
Although Williamson definitely doesn't want to see a player of Ball's caliber depart New Orleans, the absence of the Bulls newcomer might actually help the Pelicans best player moving forward.
Following modern NBA trends, the Pelicans began shifting Williamson to a roll that saw him handle the basketball much more last season. Because of his ability to create with the basketball in his hands, the former Duke standout can become somewhat of a “point forward,” as Williamson being given the room to make plays will only bode well for the franchise.
With Ball's best skills stemming from his place as a point guard, he was ultimately being used by the Pelicans as an off-the-ball player, something that simply wasn't sustainable — especially for an $85 million price tag.
Presumably adding to the Pelicans' decision to part ways with Ball, the Bulls point guard has a lengthy history with injuries despite playing just a few seasons of NBA basketball thus far. Not only that, but Ball is not a gifted shooter and has a tendency to turn the basketball over at a much higher rate than needed.
However, in Ball's defense, he began to correct both of these issues in 2020-21, but it remains to be seen if his progress will be sustainable moving forward. One thing is for sure, though, the Pelicans weren't going to spend more than $80 million to find out.
It will no doubt be interesting to see who eventually becomes the go-to point guard for the Pelicans in 2021-22 as Williamson simply can't do it by himself.
The Pelicans do have players like fellow forward Brandon Ingram and veteran big man Jonas Valančiūnas floating around, but will that be enough to keep Williamson satisfied?
Williamson will absolutely benefit from Ball heading to Chicago in the short-term but the Pelicans must have a plan to build around the generation talent — and that plan needs to begin to take shape much sooner rather than later.
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