For as much information that has been available of the Pelicans training camp, which has largely been word of mouth from Stan Van Gundy and the players through media interviews, Lonzo Ball appears to be one of the standouts. Stemming mostly from comments made by Van Gundy about Ball’s improvement as a communicator this preseason, Ball appears to be one of the players taking the biggest step forward.
Josh Hart, who is one of the players most familiar with Ball as the two have spent each of their three seasons in the NBA together, spoke to the media on Sunday about his improvements on the court.
“He knows his role and he knows what he has to do and that’s with the ball in his hand and not in his hand,” he said. “He’s done an amazing job in terms of talking, communicating, getting everyone matched up, letting us know what we’re running in terms of sets and stuff like that. You can tell he’s getting more mature and more comfortable in himself and being a leader. I think that’s the biggest thing, obviously.
“He came into the league pretty young and he had a lot of expectations on him and I think he’s really starting to get comfortable in terms of knowing who he is, being the leader that he is and it’s good to see.”
Ball becoming more comfortable within himself is likely one of the contributing factors in allowing him to become a better leader on the floor. Entering his fourth year, and a contract year, he’s no longer seen as much through the lens of a young prospect anymore but more as an established player.
Certainly, last season’s strong spell from December through March also served as a form of confirmation that he belongs in the league, whether that was needed or not. With that stretch behind him, he can now move comfortably into the future and into a bigger role within the Pelicans.