Lonzo Ball has a chance to be the best point guard in the NBA and the first step is to win the Most Improved Player award for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New Orleans Pelicans may have players win the Most Improved Player award in back-to-back seasons if Lonzo Ball has anything to say about it.
Brandon Ingram is the frontrunner for the award this season after evolving into one of the best scoring wings in the NBA and Lonzo Ball hopes to follow in his footsteps.
This won’t be an easy task, but there are several reasons why Lonzo Ball has a good chance to take huge strides next season and take down the award.
Lonzo Ball Will be Stronger
Lonzo is not wasting his time during the hiatus. He’s been hitting the gym and trying to pack on additional muscle for next season.
Though his form could definitely use some work, Lonzo Ball is working hard and will undoubtedly be bigger and stronger when the NBA finally returns.
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Lonzo Ball can already defend bigger players, but putting on additional strength will help turn him into one of the best defending guards in the league, as he will be able to take on more wings.
Extra strength will also help him battle through picks on defense and to jockey for better position on the glass.
Offensively Lonzo Ball can already bully smaller guards, but additional strength will make him better in the post and more capable of finishing at the rim, something he struggles with now.
Lonzo Ball Will be a Better Shooter
Lonzo Ball’s 3-point percentage improved from 30.5 on 5.7 attempts in his first season with the New Orleans Pelicans to 38.3 on 6.5 attempts per game this season, a huge leap that was helped by assistant coach Fred Vinson.
Lonzo had really come on from behind the arc in the last ten games before the suspension, hitting 42.9 percent from long-range, including a couple of games when he hit seven 3-pointers.
If Lonzo Ball could sustain this type of shooting over an entire season, he will be even more effective getting into the lane, as defenders will have to honor his range.
Lonzo’s scoring average could easily jump into the 18-20 points per game if he continues improving at this rate.
The New Orleans Pelicans are Lonzo Ball’s Team
One real positive of this season has been the evolution of Lonzo Ball into the emotional leader of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Sure, Zion Williamson gets all the headlines, Brandon Ingram made the All-Star team and fans are often drunk on Jaxson Hayes highlights, but Lonzo is the leader of this team and will increase this role next season.
Lonzo is sure to be given more responsibility in the offense, more opportunity to have the ball in his hands and more chances to make plays. His usage rate of 18.3 percent will almost certainly go up.
Lonzo Ball’s hustle and energy already inspire the team and lead to plays like this.
But it’s not just Lonzo’s hustle and defense. He averaged 20.8 points, 7.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds in March, numbers that put him in the elite of NBA point guards, and his teammates noticed.
If you paid close attention to the New Orleans Pelicans you’ve noticed that the team feeds off Lonzo Ball’s energy, even when he makes a mistake. Here he is hustling back for a steal after turning it over. Lonzo never gives up on the play and gets an easy bucket for a teammate.
As Lonzo continues to evolve into the leader of the New Orleans Pelicans, his responsibility will increase and so will his numbers.
Lonzo Ball will Have a Full Season with Zion
Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson played just 19 games together for the New Orleans Pelicans and already they were one of the most exciting duos in the league.
When Lonzo has the ball and you see Zion streaking down the sideline you know something magical is about to happen.
Lonzo is the best in the NBA at seeing the floor and throwing outlet passes, including these two alley-opps to Zion from nearly full court.
These types of plays will not only get Lonzo Ball and the New Orleans Pelicans more national attention, which will help his case for Most Improved Player, but Lonzo is sure to increase his stats as well.
Lonzo Ball averaged 7.0 assists per game for the New Orleans Pelicans and that was largely without the easy lobs to Zion.
Lonzo is sure to get a couple of extra assists per game with Zion on the floor for the full season, not to mention the increase in open looks with Zion drawing double teams in the lane.
Zion’s presence on the floor will increase Lonzo’s visibility as a player, as well as his stats. We could easily see Lonzo put up a 18 point, 10 assist, 8 rebound stat line next year, which would put him in the running for Most Improved Player.
The New Orleans Pelicans are likely to be better as a team next season and if Lonzo can lead them to the playoffs while increasing his individual stats, that should be enough to get him the MIP award.
Thanks for reading and stay safe out there!