Pelicans in ESPN’s Top 100: Is Lonzo Ball ranked too high?

Lonzo Ball of the New Orleans Pelicans may have been ranked too highly in ESPN’s top-100 players.

A new tradition in the NBA is ripping apart ESPN’s top 100 players list. This year, the player causing the most stir is the Pelicans’ Lonzo Ball.

Every year ESPN attempts this fruitless labor, which doesn’t seem to have much logic to it in some cases and always stirs up some controversy, which is probably the point.

Last season, Lonzo Ball ranked 68th on the ESPN Top 100 list, which seemed fair given his potential, age and accomplishments so far in the NBA.

ESPN is projecting a leap from Lonzo this season, and given the way he played down the stretch last year, it makes sense.

Lonzo started hitting a much higher percentage of his 3-point shots, was more aggressive with dribble penetration and looked to be improved on defense before the bubble where all of these things disappeared.

Is Lonzo Ball’s ranking too high? Let’s take look.

New Orleans Pelicans: Lonzo Ball’s ranking on the ESPN Top 100

This season, Lonzo Ball is ranked 54th out of 100, not a huge leap, but one that has some people angry.

It’s not so much that they don’t believe Lonzo is good, it’s that there are several players ranked below him who have accomplished a lot more in the NBA.

Lonzo is ahead of D’Angelo Russell, who was ranked 69th, which I tend to agree with. Russell is a one-dimensional player who may get fewer looks now that they have added Anthony Edwards.

Zach LaVine (ranked 56th) has a better argument, as he is a 25 point per game scorer who is not a bad defensive player.

Some scoffed that Lonzo Ball was ahead of veterans Blake Griffin and DeMar DeRozan, as well as Montrezl Harrell and John Wall.

Let’s break these down. Obviously, Griffin and DeRozan have had much better careers than Lonzo Ball, but this list is ranking current players. Both Griffin and DeRozan are in the twilight of their careers, and at this point, are probably worse than Lonzo even if they are healthy.

Harrell was the beneficiary of being on a really good team where he was often left unguarded and free to do his thing on the boards. He could have even more success on the Lakers in the same role but Harrell is a role player ultimately. He has an argument against Lonzo for sure.

Sorry, but I have to see John Wall play basketball before I could rank him ahead of anyone. If he’s healthy, he’s better than Lonzo but that is a big “if.”

It seems like all of the complaining is for nothing, as Lonzo Ball absolutely deserves this ranking if it is based on what he’s already done and what he’s about to do.

There is certainly some argument, but Lonzo Ball can put it all to rest by playing well and winning the Most Improved Player award.