Player comparisons are always difficult, especially when it’s a guy like Lonzo Ball, whose playing style is so unique. A fun exercise in the pre-draft process is relating each player to an established NBA player in order to give fans a better idea of exactly what their team is getting, but for Ball, who was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers, there doesn’t seem to be a spot-on comparison out there.
As a pass-happy point guard with good size, probably the best player to match up with Ball is Jason Kidd.
Both can run a team and are focused on setting up teammates for buckets rather than score themselves. Both possess good size for their position and have the ability to be creative on the break.
However, when asked about who in the NBA is most similar to him while appearing on The On Par Podcast, Kidd had a somewhat surprising answer:
“I guess the kid out of L.A. The Ball kid, Lonzo Ball. I guess he’s gotten a lot of comparison. Watching him in Vegas (at Summer League), he understands the floor, he understands the situation. He finds the open guy. Only time will tell. He might be better than I am.”
Kidd is currently the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, but during his playing days he had 10 All-Star appearances, was First-Team All-NBA five times, an NBA champion as well as a legitimate MVP candidate. Given those credentials, having Kidd suggest that Ball might be even better than he had to raise some eyebrows.
Obviously, Ball is a tremendous talent, but perhaps his greatest asset is not just his passing ability but the way that he gets teammates to move the ball as well. He transforms an entire offense, bending it to his will and lifting up his teammates in the process. If he manages to continue to have that kind of impact then Kidd just may be right, and if so, then the Lakers are a very fortunate team indeed.