New Orleans Pelicans: Can Lonzo Ball become an all-star soon?

New Orleans Pelicans: Can Lonzo Ball be an all-star?

Despite all of his recent improvement, it is difficult to envision Lonzo Ball becoming an all-star “soon.”

This is especially true if he stays in the Western Conference. The west is stacked with top-tier talents and, although Ball could soon be considered among the elite in his position, it is an uphill battle to start with. The number of players that are in with a chance for an all-star berth in the west appear to grow every year.

It would be easier for Ball in the Eastern Conference, but that also seems unlikely. The only way I see him becoming an all-star in the short-term is through the fan vote, which is at least somewhat possible in a huge market like New York or Chicago.

Still, there are still a few notable gaps in Ball’s game. He needs to continue working on his consistency and further diversifying his offense. He also has to become an elite defender every single night and cement himself as one of the NBA’s best defenders.

From a statistics standpoint, this is also a hard conversation to have. Ball’s averages of 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists are very solid for a third option, but lacking for an all-star. The likes of Draymond Green or Al Horford have gotten to the all-star game on unspectacular numbers, but they were on contending teams.

But even if Ball doesn’t become an all-star in the next couple of seasons, that should not take away from his improvement. He has worked himself into a big contract this summer and, perhaps more importantly than that, into having a huge role on whatever team he ends up.