The New Orleans Pelicans have been involved in high-level, league-altering trade discussions and contract negotiations that will affect the franchise for the next decade ever since David Griffin (Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations) and Trajan Langdon (General Manager) were brought on to lead a new era of basketball in the city. Lonzo Ball was crucial to the deal when the team dealt Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only was he viewed as a perfect fit with Zion Williamson, but he was also seen as an affordable replacement with upside potential for an aging and increasingly expensive Jrue Holiday. Ball missed a few games since the All-Star break and had to quell some rumors about his unhappiness in New Orleans but he has proven worthy of the investment he will demand as a restricted free agent this offseason.
Drama surrounds the New Orleans Pelicans well past the roster shifting deadlines. First came the Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday trades followed by the contract extension for Brandon Ingram but not Ball or Josh Hart. More recently, JJ Reddick expressed his displeasure with the front office and the trade to the Dallas Mavericks on his Old Man and the Three podcast. A recent win in Boston rekindled comparisons of trade packages the Pelicans could have taken that did not include Ball. The news of Jrue Holiday’s four-year, $160 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks let New Orleans know what would have been required had they not made the trade for a net of Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, and draft picks.
Ball could grow into a top-10 two-way guard while costing just about half of Holiday’s new salary cap number. Ball and Bledsoe ($18m) combined will probably cost less than Holiday’s $40 million per year deal. Though unlikely, there could be sign-and-trade options should Ball garner a maximum-level salary offer sheet from either the Chicago Bulls or New York Knicks that the Pelicans do not feel comfortable matching. However, New Orleans should be matching any offer sheet for next season considering Ball’s play this year.
The first question the front office will need to ask: How much will it cost to replace Ball, both in actual salary and assets needed to acquire? If the answer is more than Ball can command as a restricted free agent, New Orleans should match the offer. The trade market for his potential alone will remain for a few more years, especially since he will be on a newly signed contract. Ball’s next contract could potentially be crucial in trading for a more established star. Given Ball’s stats, even the opportunity costs of paying Ball a few million more than a replacement-level journeyman veteran would be worth a short-term investment.
Ball has proven to be a dependably efficient leader on both ends of the court. Playing fewer minutes per contest than last season, Ball increased his scoring contributions to 14.5 points on 12.3 shots per game. Ball is shooting over 42% overall from the field, with 8 shots being floor-spacing three-pointers (39.2%). Opposing teams must respect Ball’s shot from every spot on the floor outside of the paint. Ball is still learning to put pressure on the rim much and is not drawing contact when he does, earning only 1.2 free throws per game. However, he is now shooting a respectable 77.5% from the free-throw line, a substantial improvement over last season’s coin flip of 56.6%. His work with Fred Vinson has paid off, as has Ball’s time in Van Gundy’s system.
Ball is renowned for his passing but he also does the hustle work, not only in transition but in stopping the opposition’s potential breaks. Ball is averaging 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. His turnovers in Van Gundy’s offense have decreased, going from 3.1 last season to only 2.1 this year. His assist-to-turnover ratio is 2.68, only a few points away from his career-high rookie season. He has the 40th best rate now and will look to top that mark consistently in the seasons to come. He is one less turnover per week from being in the top 20 in the NBA among all players and only 23 years old.
The New Orleans Pelicans are just better with Lonzo Ball on the court and this team fits his skill set; this is his first season to post a positive plus/minus number. Beyond the simplest of stats, Ball is proving he is the stable conduit that could help Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson electrify the Smoothie King Center for years to come. That trio is not only worth the price of admission for entertainment purposes in a small market, they show great potential to being the pillars of Griffin’s “sustained championship culture” that could lead to parades in New Orleans not affiliated with Mardi Gras season.
Ball does not have to be the superstar he was billed to be all the time, just a smooth, smart operator of winning basketball. The rest will come naturally. He was without Williamson and Ingram in Houston but he exemplified the ‘Won’t Bow Down’ motto the front office and coaching staff has been drilling into the roster. Sensing the game was getting away from New Orleans as the Rockets went on a run, Ball approached Stan Van Gundy with a simple, “Put me back in.” While Ball has been more vocal on the sidelines, he knew he was needed more on the court to secure a win for the Pelicans.
Ball has shown a willingness to defer some leadership to Ingram and Williamson but can step up when needed. Furthermore, there is value in being the respected, trusted voice of those two All-Stars and the front office recognizes that is a core component of the championship culture they wish to build. It has been an unusual two seasons of evaluation but Lonzo Ball has proven he is comfortable with the front office’s plan, the coaching staff, and the foundational players in place in New Orleans. After refusing to deal Lonzo Ball at the trade deadline and seeing his return game response in Houston, the Pelicans should now be comfortable committing to him this offseason.
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April 05, 2021 at 07:30PM
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Lonzo Ball Letting His Game Speak, Showing Comfort Level With New Orleans Pelicans - Forbes
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