Lonzo Ball and Zion Williamson’s chemistry on the court together was instantly noticeable from the moment the latter made his debut in late January. Even in the odd circumstances that played out in Williamson’s debut in which he hit four of his six three-pointers on the season in that game, Ball assisted on five of his field goals in the fourth quarter alone.
Ball and Williamson’s chemistry eventually manifested itself in show-stopping alley-oops from any place on the court, though most often from long-distance. The two routinely connected on lobs that made them look like seasoned teammates rather than two players who spent less than 25 games together.
FiveThirtyEight’s Jared Daubin recently wrote about not only Ball and Williamson’s chemistry, but Ball’s impact on the court for the Pelicans as well this season.
The most eye-popping figure about the Ball-Williamson duo came in the form of the frequency of their alley-oops relative to the rest of the league.
Prior to the season’s interruption, only 24 pairs of teammates connected on 15-plus lobs, according to Second Spectrum. Between Williamson’s Jan. 22 debut and the beginning of the hiatus, just four other pairs of teammates joined Lonzo and Zion in reaching that mark.
No teammate played more with Williamson than Ball this season at 520 minutes together, 21 more than Jrue Holiday. Ball and Williamson’s +9.8 net rating was third-best of any teammate with Williamson.
Aside from his impact alongside Williamson, Ball changed the way the Pelicans played when he was on the court this season, most notably in his passing and ball movement.
Prior to the hiatus, 67.1 percent of Pelican baskets were assisted with Ball on the floor, compared to only 58 percent when he was on the bench. New Orleans also threw an extra 14 passes per 100 possessions with Lonzo in the game over when he was out.
It’s not a surprise to see Ball’s passing makes such a positive impact on the Pelicans. Ball’s fast, up-tempo playstyle that gets the ball upcourt quicker often leads to quicker play from his teammates and encourages more ball movement.
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