Too Quick To Judge: Lonzo Ball & The NBA

Lonzo Ball is undoubtedly the most talked about NBA rookie since LeBron James, and there’s been many instances of Ball being judged too quickly and harshly. He has only been in the league for three months and has only played 25 games and he is already getting called a bust.

Overrated. Soft.

Stephen A. Smith, a beloved analyst/commentator on ESPN, even said, “He [Ball] is starting to scare me. I’m starting to see bust.”

Can we stop with the quick judgments on NBA player’s careers? Last year, Ball was just starting his college career playing against other players his age. Now he is playing against players who are five, ten, even fifteen years older than him with much more experience on their belt. We need to stop comparing players to former players or other players in the league.

I will never understand why people need to compare players like James to Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. These aren’t necessary comparisons because they have different timelines in the sport. Times were different when James and Jordan played. The modern NBA is much faster with more possessions.

Michael Jordan and LeBron James (Image courtesy: theringer.com)

When Jordan came into the league he didn’t have the mindset to compare himself to another player. He wanted to be the next Michael Jordan. So why can’t James be known as the next LeBron James, and Bryant be the next Kobe Bryant? Why can’t Ball have the opportunity to be the next Lonzo Ball? Let players go out there and prove themselves and be the best player they can be. Let's stop comparing other players, who have had their whole career behind them, and putting pressure on a player who isn’t even old enough to legally drink.

Now here’s a little analysis on the young rookie. On the defensive end, I wouldn’t say that Ball is the worst. He still records an average of 6.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, and 1.4 steals per game. Those are great totals for a point guard, let alone a rookie. The offensive end is another story, but he still manages to put up 8.6 points, and 7.1 assists per game. If we want to put a comparison on numbers: Stephen Curry only averaged 10.8 point, 4.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds in his first 25 games of his rookie season.

Curry and Kevin Durant even had some words to say about Ball:

Curry and Durant couldn't be any more right. We shouldn't be judging a player so harshly this early in their careers. Rookies are going to make mistakes and that's how they are going to get better as players. But because of the hype, all caused by his father, Ball was targeted to be the next great and is constantly criticized for everything he does. This criticism could lead to a lack of confidence in the young player, thus causing his averages to plummet.

Ball is currently 20 years old standing at 6’6” and 190lbs (86kg). He isn’t going to be able to push past other point guards or bully other players in the paint to get to the basket. I don’t even want to see what would happen if Ball decided to drive into DeMarcus Cousins or DeAndre Jordan in the paint.

Some other notable point guards like Stephen Curry is 6’3” and 190lbs (86kg). Kyrie Irving is 6’3” and 193lbs (87kg). John Wall is 6’4” and 196lbs (88kg). Are you starting to see a trend? These point guards are smaller and faster than Ball, but the weight just as much if not more than him. These guards use their speed and weight to blow past defenders and bully themselves into the paint. Looking at Ball on the court, I have the same fear I had with Brandon Ingram. They look very thin and fragile and anyone could push right past them without any hesitation.

Let Lonzo Ball play the rest of his rookie season, actually, let him play two seasons then we can jump back on the judgment train. At least then he will have some real numbers to back himself up with rather than these few games where he is learning to adjust to the game. Maybe in a year or two he will fix his jump shot, or learn to shoot more efficiently. Let him make a few mistakes and move on and stop the criticism.

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither are superstar athletes. Like Michael Jordan once said: "I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."