Lonzo Ball: Shouldn’t Be Starting at PG For New Orleans Right Now
Lonzo Ball is a viable starter in today’s NBA. In no way does this mean he should be the starter in New Orleans. Jrue Holiday shouldn’t have to give up his spot as starting PG, nor, should he have to move to SG to accommodate Ball. The New Orleans Pelicans are best suited for Ball to come off the bench.
Jrue Holiday is one of the NBA’s most underrated PG’s. During the 2018-19 season, he averaged 21.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 7.7 assists. Holiday is a former NBA All-Star and 2x All-Defensive team member. Starting Lonzo, who is nowhere at this level, might be the biggest mistake head coach, Alvin Gentry, can make.
As mentioned before, you could start Lonzo at the PG and Holiday at the SG. That’s what some believe the Pelicans will do. That makes little sense with J.J. Reddick on the roster. He needs to be the starting SG. Ball can come off the bench with Josh Hart and those two can run the backcourt in the second unit.
There’s nothing wrong with Ball’s game that would make him a second unit player. Yes, he’s not the best shooter or scorer, but, Ball has a grasp on the PG position. There are just other players ahead of him that make more sense to give starters minutes to.
We’ve seen Ball at his best and worst during his 2-year NBA career. After a stellar rookie year, which he averaged 7.2 assists, Ball dropped his per game average by about 2 during his sophomore season. Some attribute this to the arrival of LeBron James and Rajon Rondo , however, injuries and inconsistent play played a big role.
It’s entirely possible the Pelicans want to, or decide to, trade Holiday during the season. In this instance, Ball needs to become the starting PG. However, until that happens, Holiday is the best option for New Orleans. This is a franchise that’s trying to win games. They wouldn’t have gone out and signed J.J. Reddick or Derrick Favors if they weren’t trying to compete.
Lonzo Ball showed with the Lakers that there’s All-Star potential. Without doubt, he’s the PG of the future for the New Orleans Pelicans. Holiday is locked up through the 2022 season. It probably won’t be that long until he’s on another team. It’s at that time the organization can turn the roster over to Ball. Until then, it’s Holiday who’s the better player. As a result, he needs to be the starting PG.
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Daniel is a guru of baseball and basketball prospects. He’s a very experienced Amusement Park traveler as well. Follow him and his hot takes on Insta @dgentleman9288
