Lonzo and LaMelo Ball have drawn many comparisons both together and separate in their relatively young professional careers. The most recent comparison from Shawn Marion, though, might be the most generous one lauded upon them yet.
During an appearance on “The Full 48 with Howard Beck,” Marion compared the Ball brothers to budding superstar Luka Doncic.
“I got a chance to watch (Lonzo) play. I’ll say this one thing in comparison, Lonzo Ball, I think he has his own, he’s like Luka. They have their own way. They have their own…drive. They have their own pace. Watching Luka, you can not speed him up. His physical coordination is amazing. And he has another gear he can go. And he takes that challenge and loves that challenge.
When I watch Lonzo Ball and LaMelo Ball, I think they have their own pace. They know how to control the tempo of the game. They know the tempo of the game and I feel like they know exactly what the team needs and the time the team needs it. They means they know how to dictate and control…the pace of the game. It’s very rare to see young guys understand that, the temperment of the game like that. I’m not saying every time he make a pass it’s going to be automatically and assist.
But he knows when the tempo is getting out of control to a degree and he knows how to slow it down. That is very rare. That’s really hard to see. And his passing for his size and how he’s able to deliver the ball right in the pocket for guys to shoot the ball is pretty dynamic and really unique.”
While the idea of comparing either Ball brother to Doncic might raise some eyebrows, the manner in which Marion compares them makes sense. Marion isn’t the first person to compare LaMelo to Doncic as NBA scouts have done the same while evaluating his game with the Illawarra Hawks.
Neither Lonzo nor LaMelo will likely be a scorer to the level that Doncic has blossomed into even in his second year in the league as he’s averaging 29.9 points per game this season. Lonzo is averaging 11.1 points per game in his third year and LaMelo is averaging 14.7 points per game in the National Basketball League.
The way they can control a game and set up teammates, though, is similar. Both Ball brothers are averaging exactly 6.0 assists per game while Doncic is at 9.4 dimes per contest. All three have an ability to guide an offense that is rare to see from young players and show why all three are highly-touted prospects or, in Doncic’s case, an already impressive professional.
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