3 teams that will be rueing missing out on Lonzo Ball | NBA Season 2021-22

Lonzo Ball’s creativity as a passer and basketball IQ are things that have been talked about since day one. Picked 2nd by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, Ball is now in his fifth season. With each year that has passed, Lonzo Ball has only gotten better. His playmaking and defense make him an asset that any franchise would benefit from.

Lonzo Ball’s best season in terms of dishing the rock was his rookie year with the Lakers. Before joining the Chicago Bulls' 2021-22 roster, he played a couple of seasons for the New Orleans Pelicans, with Zion Williamson complementing his style of play. Now part of the talented Chicago Bulls, Lonzo Ball on many occasions has to just catch and shoot. From deep, he is shooting a career best 43.8% so far.

Apart from the Chicago Bulls, there were many franchises that could have sought Ball’s services in order to revive or boost their offense. Here is a list of 3 teams that will be rueing missing out on Lonzo Ball.

#3 Los Angeles Clippers

Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers is sidelined indefinitely after partially tearing the ACL in his right knee during the playoffs last year. Since then, Paul George has been tasked with carrying the team and it looks like he is enjoying it. The Los Angeles Clippers brought in Eric Bledsoe, who is now 32 years old and was not much of a success with the Pelicans last season.

Now, imagine Lonzo Ball in the Clippers’ roster. This immediately makes them better on both ends of the floor. Additionally, by signing a young player, the Clippers could reap long-term benefits. The Los Angeles Clippers undeniably missed out on this, especially seeing how much of a positive impact Lonzo Ball has had on the Chicago Bulls.

#2 Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets have no clear timetable for the return of their star point guard, Jamal Murray. Nikola Jokic is doing most of the heavy lifting after Michael Porter Jr. got added to the injury list with back issues. After finishing 3rd in the Western Conference standings in the 2020-21 season, the Denver Nuggets are now struggling to close out games. They are 10th in the West after playing 18 games.

Lonzo Ball, apart from being a creative playmaker, could have helped the Denver Nuggets on the defensive end. His quick hands and basketball IQ would have helped Jokic and the Nuggets close out games late in the fourth quarter. Lonzo Ball has shot well from the three-point line as well, an area where the Nuggets have been weak, ranking 26th in the league.

#1 Boston Celtics

Within five seasons in the NBA, Lonzo Ball has shown time and again that he is destined for greatness. The way he reads the game undoubtedly shows he is capable of being a leader in the league someday. The Boston Celtics rely heavily on production from their youngsters Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who have contributed enormously. But what happens when one of them suffers an injury, like Jaylen Brown late last season? The team would most likely struggle.

Marcus Smart is a great player who has come up clutch for the Celtics on many occasions. But in no way is he a better playmaker than Lonzo Ball. Ball increases the pace of the game as opposed to Smart, who takes his time, often disrupting the flow of the offense. With young players like Tatum and Brown, playing a faster paced game is advantageous to the Boston Celtics. In hindsight, they will definitely be disappointed in themselves for missing out on signing Lonzo Ball.

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