Chicago Bulls: Lonzo Ball vs. 2019 NBA Draft prospects

The Chicago Bulls desperately need a new point guard. How does Lonzo Ball compare to some of the 2019 NBA Draft’s best point guard prospects?

The Chicago Bulls have multiple options for how to approach their current point guard issues. They can draft a youngster, sign a veteran in free agency or make a trade.

Free agency is the least sexy option of the three. It’s way more fun to bring in a young, exciting point guard by way of the draft or a trade than it is to sign a quality veteran – more than likely someone who is good but not great. You know, someone like Ricky Rubio.

The problem with relying on the draft to solve the Bulls’ point guard issues is that Chicago doesn’t get to select their guy until the seventh overall pick. That means a lot of teams (six, to be exact) will have their choice of available point guards before the Bulls get to make their pick. If Ja Morant (will definitely be gone), Darius Garland (will probably be gone) and Coby White (your guess is as good as mine) are all off the board when the Bulls are on the clock, it’ll be time to either trade the pick or draft a wing – not reach for a different point guard.

Should it even matter, though, whether or not one of those point guards is available for the Bulls at No.7? Would the Bulls be better off trading for Lonzo Ball?

Now, it’s important to remember that a trade has to be agreed upon by all involved teams (obviously). The Bulls can’t snap their fingers and steal Lonzo from the Lakers. It’s also important to note that, as mentioned, the Bulls don’t get to decide whether or not Garland or White will be available for them to draft at No. 7. For the sake of this article, let’s assume that Ball is available for the Bulls to trade for AND that both Garland and White will be available for the Bulls to draft. We’ll assume Morant will be off the board at No. 7, because… duh?

Now that we’ve set the parameters, let’s figure out which point guard would be better for the Bulls.

Lonzo has had a relatively rough start to his professional career. It’s weird – most people would look at Ball’s numbers over his first two NBA seasons and label those seasons as pretty good if his name wasn’t attached to said numbers. I mean, the kid has career averages of 10 points, 6.4 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game for one of the most legendary franchises in NBA history, and he’s only 21 years old. Unfortunately for Lonzo, the expectations for him are sky-high (largely thanks to his outspoken father), so “pretty good” isn’t good enough.

While I believe some of the Lonzo hate is unwarranted, some of it definitely is earned. He can be a bit passive at times and he has struggled mightily with his efficiency. For his career, he’s shooting 38% from the field (gross), 31.5% from 3-point range (needs improvement) and 43.7% from the free throw line (absolutely unacceptable).

Those are all really bad numbers. However, Lonzo’s potential far outweighs the concerns surrounding his game. He’s absolutely incredible on the defensive end of the court, he has outstanding vision and he has the potential to be one of the best players on a championship team.

Let’s move on to Darius Garland and Coby White.

I’ve written a lot about both Garland and White in the past few weeks, so I won’t do an in-depth analysis here. But the main takeaways from both of their games are:

• White has great size (6’5″), incredible shooting ability and solid defensive upside. He has the potential to be a good passer, but he’s a score-first point guard at this stage of his development.
• Garland has a small, wiry frame and doesn’t have great defensive potential, but he’s lethal in the pick-and-roll, he can pull up from anywhere and he’s a solid playmaker.

(For more on White, click here. For more on Garland, click here.)

Deciding between Ball, White and Garland is kind of like deciding what to drink. Coke is good. Sprite is good. Mountain Dew is good. It really boils down to what you prefer.

If you took a time machine five years into the future and came back and told me that Lonzo was the best guard out of the three, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. But I would also believe you if you told me Lonzo was the worst. There are just so many question marks when it comes to evaluating young guards. Sometimes you just have to trust your gut and take a gamble on someone.

If it were up to me, I would be gambling on Lonzo. His ability to push the ball in transition, find open teammates and defend opposing ball handlers is unmatched (by the other two guards we’re looking at). Yes, his shooting is concerning, he’s too passive and sometimes he can look like he’s playing a weird game of hot potato. But Garland and White have flaws, too (like every single basketball player on Earth). Lonzo just seems to have the best odds of turning into a success.

When it comes to the two soon-to-be-drafted dudes, I would rank Garland ahead of White, primarily because of Garland’s threat as a pick-and-roll ball handler.

For those keeping score at home, all of this means that my desired list of young point guards for the Chicago Bulls to target is: Lonzo Ball, Darius Garland, Coby White. In that order.

Come on, Chicago. Go get Lonzo.