Even in three short seasons in the NBA, Lonzo Ball’s development as a player has led to big changes in his game. The most visible aspect of his game that has changed is his jumper, which is a big part of his development. However, Ball has also come a long way mentally as any young point guard would in their first years in the league.
Unfortunately, much of the development he showed through the large majority of this season was marred by how his season ended inside the bubble. During a recent podcast for the Pelicans, Fox Sports New Orleans analyst Antonio Daniels discussed how Ball is a different player despite how this season ended.
“If you see the progression from his jump shot as far as the fundamentals go, as far as the mechanics go, this is a completely different basketball player. Not with just the change of scenery, not with the change of jump shot, not with the change of confidence, but just overall. I’m not going to say not to put too much into this season because it’s obviously important, but we have to understand this season is different…Think about how he was playing when the hiatus hit and then to come back after that four months off and be expected to pick right where you left off as far as confidence is concerned. For a young NBA point guard, that’s tough to do.”
The comparisons between Brandon Ingram’s third season and Ball’s are aplenty. For Ingram, his third season served as the final pieces of a foundation for him to explode in his fourth season.
Ball could be set for a similar big fourth season of his own next season. His shot seems to be fixed and now just needs repitions. His confidence was at an all-time high during the season. He’s healthy heading into the off-season for the first time in his career.
