New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball is the Next Jason Kidd

The 22-year-old New Orleans Pelicans’ point guard has many similarities to one of the all-time greats at his position.

It’s probably way too early to start comparing the New Orleans Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball to a Hall of Famer like Jason Kidd. Kidd said as much himself after media outlets were quick to crown Ball as the next great all-around point guard in the NBA.

Yes, it is premature, but Ball is starting to put up numbers that are eerily similar and have put him on the cusp of being an All-Star in the NBA.

In just his third season, Ball is already flashing the type of all-around talent that made Kidd a 10- time All-Star, but the similarities don’t end there. Both came into the league with below average jump shots, but had other skills to make up for it.

Both Ball and Kidd are natural leaders, which has become more evident with Ball since he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. Ball has seized a prominent leadership role for the young Pelicans and is already the floor general for one of the best offenses in the NBA.

Kidd was known for being a team-first player, a guy who would sacrifice his own stats to get his team a win. Ball has shown similar characteristics, often affecting the game in little ways that don’t necessarily show up in the box scores.

They both entered the league with a strong history of winning, and like Kidd, Ball takes every loss personally.

The superficial similarities between Kidd and Ball are easy to spot, but they have a lot more in common than just good passing and leadership on the floor.

If Ball can continue to progress his all-around game with the New Orleans Pelicans, he has a chance to go down next to Kidd as one of the unique talents at the point guard position.

The Early Days

Ball started drawing comparisons to Kidd long before he entered the NBA as the second overall pick for the Los Angeles Lakers. Both Kidd and Ball come from California and were gifted and successful high school players who drew national attention even at a young age.

Both Kidd and Ball led their respective high school teams to state titles, Kidd achieving the feat twice. Both were McDonald’s All-Americans and took the Naismith Award as the top prep player in the nation.

Their high school statistics were nearly identical, with Kidd averaging 25 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and seven steals in his final year, while Ball averaged a triple-double with 23.9 points, 11.7 assists and 11.3 rebounds per game.

They were highly recruited by the nation’s top universities but both Kidd and Ball decided to play in their native California, Kidd staying close to home in the Bay Area at the University of California at Berkeley, and Ball playing at UCLA in his native Los Angeles.

Both went to programs that were coming off poor seasons, but that quickly changed, as Kidd and Ball were able to turn around their respective teams and get them back into national contention.

They had record-setting but short college careers, with Ball becoming the first player in the Pac 12 to average at least 14 points while also getting at least seven assists and six rebounds since Kidd did it for Cal. It may not have been intentional, but Ball seemed to follow in Kidd’s footsteps wherever he went.

This included being selected number two overall in the draft by the Lakers, as Kidd was also the second selection when he was taken by the Dallas Mavericks.

Their early playing days couldn’t have been much more similar, but they also had some problems off the court.

The Controversy

Kidd’s Demons

Both Kidd and Ball started their careers in a tabloid frenzy that would be the hallmark of their first years in the NBA.

Kidd’s personal problems while in the NBA are well documented. He was arrested for domestic violence after hitting his wife, got a DUI and it seemed like he couldn’t keep his name out of the headlines for all of the wrong reasons.

Kidd had to overcome a negative image that he had rightfully earned and found himself getting booed at opposing arenas, even as he was putting up huge numbers and being selected as a first team All-NBA point guard.

Kidd eventually got counseling for his myriad problems and was able to turn his life around and get a fresh start with the Nets. He is now a respected coach in the NBA and few remember the dubious beginning to his young life and career.

The Reality TV Family

Ball’s early career was also marked by controversy, though his was more of the reality tv/WWE variety and not nearly as bad as the demons that haunted Kidd. Ball’s controversy was a family matter, as his outspoken father constantly made headlines with bombastic statements and predictions.

Ball’s first two years with the Lakers were played in the shadow of his father, who made the rounds on sports talk shows, started his own shoe company, and inked the family to a reality tv deal for “Ball in the Family.”

The soft-spoken Lonzo seemed bewildered at times and it affected his play, but like Kidd, Ball was able to re-establish himself with a new team when he joined the New Orleans Pelicans.

It’s important to note that the controversy that plagued Ball was mostly not of his own doing. Ball has been a model citizen, hasn’t committed any crimes and has shown none of the fatal character flaws that Kidd displayed as a young man.

Things have also quieted considerably since he joined the New Orleans Pelicans and got out of the gaze of the Hollywood tabloids.

But it is fair to say that both spent a lot of time in the news for the wrong reasons and that both would go on to develop unique all-around skills as point guards in the NBA.

Unique Skills for the NBA

The Passing

When California point guard Ball entered the league he was compared to everyone from Magic Johnson to Pete Maravich, but the most accurate comp is to fellow Californian Kidd.

Both have plus size for the position and are able to guard everyone from point guards to small forwards, though Ball is a bit taller at 6-foot-6. Both Kidd and Ball showcase uncanny floor vision, often passing the ball to a spot where they know a player will eventually be.

Kidd was known for his no-look lobs and full-court outlet passes, two things that Ball has already mastered in his short time in the league, such as this beauty to the streaking Zion Williamson.

The Shot

Like Kidd, Ball struggles with his shot at times, but also like Kidd, he is getting better. Kidd shot a miserable 27.2 percent from 3-point range as a rookie, while Ball was only slightly better at 30.5 percent in his first year in the league. Kidd put in the hours in the gym and was able to turn himself in a career 34.9 percent 3-point shooter, after having several years of shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc.

Ball has also put in the time to improve his shot, and is now up to 36.6 percent from long range. Like Kidd, Ball came into the league with flawed shooting mechanics that he was able to change through time and hard work. If you compare his early jumper to the one he has now, it looks like a different player.

Ball’s jumper looks silky smooth compared to when he entered the league and he’s now doing this with regularity.

The Defense

Kidd was a four-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive first team, and though Ball has not gotten there yet, he has already flashed the defensive versatility to get him there. Kidd averaged 2.2 steals at age 22, and Ball isn’t far behind, averaging 1.5 steals a game for his young career.

It’s not just about the steals. Kidd was a savvy team defender who always seemed to be in the right place to get a deflection or disrupt the offense. Ball also has the knack for being in the right place at the right time and does the little things to slow down the other team.

Kidd and Ball both have size for their position and can guard bigger opponents. Kidd was certainly stronger, especially early in his career, but Ball has the chance to continue to add strength and it’s not hard to imagine him locking down small forwards at some point in the future.

The Triple-Doubles

Like Kidd, Ball is a gifted rebounder, which makes him a triple-double threat every time he steps on the floor. Kidd was able to record an astounding 107 triple-doubles in his storied career, a mark that will be hard for anyone to reach.

Ball has just six triple-doubles in his early career, but was once the youngest since LeBron James to do it, and is averaging 11.7 points, 6.8 assists and 6.1 rebounds, numbers that will put him in the hunt every game for the New Orleans Pelicans.

Still a long way to go for ‘Zo

Kidd was a 10-time All-Star, five-time 1st team All-NBA and a four-time 1st team All-Defensive player who ended his career as one of the all time leaders in assists, steals and triple-doubles. Ball has a long way to go before he can be mentioned in the same category when it comes to careers in the NBA.

But Ball has already flashed the type of size, all-around game and work ethic that helped Kidd become one of the best point guards of all time. Lonzo is not there yet, but it’s not hard to imagine him once again following in Kidd’s footsteps and becoming one of the most successful point guards of his era.