When the Los Angeles Lakers made a midseason trade to bring in Isaiah Thomas, it gave them an ideal player to pair with rookie Lonzo Ball. Thomas’ score-first mentality mixed well with Ball’s unselfishness and the two worked well together.
The Lakers decided not to bring Thomas back this offseason, and he ultimately decided to join the Denver Nuggets on a one-year contract. Even though he wasn’t around the Lakers for long, Thomas still sees plenty of potential in Ball.
Appearing on the “Tiki and Tierney Show,” Thomas praised the young point guard and his talent:
“Lonzo is a great kid. I mean, I don’t think you’re going to be able to fix his jump shot, but you can work with it and get it better than how it is right now. He’s a talented, talented young player that’s going to be special in this league because he has the tools to be special.”
Ball undoubtedly has tools that can’t be taught. His basketball IQ is outstanding for such a young player, his court vision is next-level, and instincts are amazing.
Additionally, Ball is an excellent rebounder for his position, and an extremely underrated defender who does a great job of using his anticipation to come up with steals and blocks.
As Thomas noted, the form on his jumper probably won’t be fixed, but his shot can still be improved to at least respectable levels, which will only make him that much better offensively.
Ball obviously has plenty of room to grow and areas to improve his game, but the tools are there for him to be special. Thomas worked with his understudy during his time in Los Angeles, and that could help the young guard reach that next level. Particularly now with Rajon Rondo filling a mentorship role.
Are you following us on Instagram? We’ve changed our handle to @LakersNationOfficial! Find us on Facebook at @LakersNation, and on Twitter @LakersNation.
