The Miami Heat might be better off with Lonzo Ball, but could they cooperate with his team to get him there?
Ball is also a wizard with the ball, which equates to Adebayo and Butler getting easier off-ball buckets. The burden to create will dissipate, for them, if coach Erik Spoelstra fully entrusts him to not be passive with the offense.
What Ball lacks in Miami basketball grit can be made up in skill if Spoelstra can unlock it. The skill that he was projected to have coming out of high school.
Teamed with the pressure that LaMelo Ball’s Rookie of the Year season put on him to get back to his old form. Not the shooting form.
Even that is new, as seen in the video posted by Overtime, which may boost his three-point shooting percentage from last year (37.8) a little more. These are positives all around.
Yet, regardless of a down season for Lowry, he still bested Ball in points, rebounds, assists, and shooting from everywhere on the court except the midrange. Part of that could be attributed to Zion Williamson not only being on the floor, but being very hands on with the basketball.
As would Butler and Adebayo though. Factor in blocks and steals, and Ball may seem like he has a slight edge.
Until a look at Lowry’s defensive rating (113.0) shows that he and Ball (113.7) may be closer to the same.
Eye tests and stat comparisons are great, but Ball does not have a chance against Riley’s perceived disdain for his management group at Klutch Sports. So, can a case really be made?