Bulls

Could Lonzo Ball Be The Right Fit For The Chicago Bulls?

Lonzo could be a trade piece in a potential Anthony Davis to the Lakers deal. Is this worth it for the Bulls?

by
BuzzOnTap
June 10, 2019

The Chicago Bulls have the seventh pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, which takes place Thursday, June 20th. This likely means Ja Morant and Darius Garland will be off the board. Those two are the top-ranked Point Guards coming out of the draft which makes the Bulls decision a difficult one.

Do the Bulls keep the pick and draft best available? Or do they try and trade the pick away for a player that could fit their system?

Worth noting the Bulls have discussed Lonzo Ball with the Lakers before. Not sure how far those talks got, but could see a scenario where they’re a third team and the 7th pick goes to New Orleans. https://t.co/r6LcsqpEqY

— Sean Highkin (@highkin) June 10, 2019

Noted above is how the Bulls have inquired about the Lakers young Point Guard. Lonzo could be a trade piece in a potential Anthony Davis to the Lakers deal. Is this worth it for the Bulls? Lonzo has had trouble staying healthy only appearing in 99 out of a possible 164 games. Lonzo also has struggled shooting from the free-throw line and from deep.

Per Game Table
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	Pos	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	3P	3PA	3P%	2P	2PA	2P%	eFG%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2017-18	20	LAL	NBA	PG	52	50	34.2	3.9	10.8	.360	1.7	5.7	.305	2.2	5.2	.420	.440	0.6	1.4	.451	1.3	5.6	6.9	7.2	1.7	0.8	2.6	2.3	10.2
2018-19	21	LAL	NBA	PG	47	45	30.3	3.9	9.7	.406	1.6	4.9	.329	2.3	4.9	.482	.488	0.4	1.0	.417	1.1	4.2	5.3	5.4	1.5	0.4	2.2	2.4	9.9
Career			NBA		99	95	32.4	3.9	10.3	.380	1.7	5.3	.315	2.3	5.0	.449	.461	0.5	1.2	.437	1.2	4.9	6.2	6.4	1.6	0.6	2.4	2.3	10.0

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/10/2019.

Though in his second season he did raise his averages from the field, he dipped 3% from the charity stripe. Lonzo also had his assist numbers dip 2 per game from 7.4APG to 5.2APG. That could be due to LeBron James being the primary ball handler for the club though.

What Lonzo would bring would be elite court vision and elite defensive skills. Before Lonzo went down with an ankle injury he was the top rated Point Guard in forced turnovers.

Along with his 5 steals, Dallas shot just 1-for-8 on shots defended by Lonzo Ball, per @NBAcom.

Held his own with a hot Harrison Barnes (29 pts) in the post.

Opponents have shot 2-of-21 vs. Ball over L.A.'s last 2 games. pic.twitter.com/ecVOfkwr8Z

— Joey Ramirez (@JoeyARamirez) December 1, 2018

The video above is just a small sample size of what Lonzo can do on the defensive side of the ball. Adding him along Zach LaVine will help mask Zach’s defensive liabilities. Adding Ball alongside Otto Porter Jr and Wendell Carter Jr. gives the Bulls three viable options on the defensive side of the ball.

Though Lonzo has struggled with his jump shot since entering the league his ability to get to the rim and open up the wings will be a huge upgrade. Lonzo will have shooters all around him which should help the team flourish offensively.

It’s just an idea, but maybe it could work? Lonzo could use a change of scenery. With LeBron James being the primary ball handler for L.A, Lonzo won’t be able to reach his full potential to play the game how he plays it.

Fun fact: Kevin Durant has averaged 25.2 points against the Bulls in 19 career games. Only the Hornets and Bucks have held him to fewer points per game in his career.

OK, back to yelling about Lonzo Ball's credentials and future.

— Bulls Talk (@NBCSBulls) June 10, 2019

Featured Photo Credit: TheBigLead.Com

BuzzOnTap

I'm Buzz. I like to drink, watch the Bulls, Sox, BlackHawks, and Bears. That's about it. So, let's #Crackum. Follow @BuzzOnTap on twitter to drink some beers and watch some games.

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