‘Head of the snake’
New point guard Lonzo Ball settling in to his role for Bulls
After signing a four-year, $85 million contract in the offseason, it didn’t take long for Lonzo Ball to live up to the hype.
The 24-year-old point guard was averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists entering Saturday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers at the United Center while providing steadiness to a Chicago Bulls team that finds itself near the top of the Eastern Conference standings.
“As the point guard, I have to be the head of the snake most nights, especially getting this team in transition,” Ball said before the Bulls’ 114-105 loss that dropped them to 6-3. “Bringing energy on (the defensive) end of the floor was a big emphasis when I talked with Billy (Donovan) and the coaching staff in the offseason.”
The Bulls rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 99 with 4:07 to play. But Furkan Korkmaz, Georges Niang and Joel Embiid hit 3-pointers as the 76ers pulled away.
Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 32 points and DeMar DeRozan added 25. Ball finished with eight points, five rebounds and five assists.
A lot of the spotlight will shine on the scoring tandem of LaVine and DeRozan,
but Ball’s impact on both ends of the floor has already done wonders. In 276 minutes this season entering Saturday, the Bulls had a net rating of 10.6 when Ball was on the court versus 0.1 when he wasn’t.
He also has caught the eye of one NBA mainstay.
“(Ball) has always been a good defender,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. “He has been underrated, and even in his first two years with the Lakers, that was not the greatest team, but Lonzo was always the guy, at least in my mind, that stood out defensively. He’s long, he’s athletic and has an incredibly high IQ.
“His improvement has been on the other end, shooting the basketball and playing with pace.”
Offensively, the beauty of Ball’s game comes with his ability to play on and off the ball. He expressed a desire during the preseason to return to being a “traditional point guard.” However, he has been effective hitting catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, an element of his skill set that opened up his offensive game after the Lakers traded him to the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2019.
Heading into the Bulls’ second straight matchup versus the 76ers, he was converting
37.8% of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts this season.
Early in his Bulls tenure, Ball still is acclimating himself to the city. The L.A. native spent time checking off the go-to destinations newcomers check out upon arrival.
“I got out a little bit when I first got here,” he said. “I took a river tour, which was cool. I learned about the old-school gangsters from the (1930s). I live pretty close to the Field (Museum), so I was there for a little bit.”
Ball did have one Chicago newbie moment when discussing his arrival.
“I went to some restaurant that was 95 floors up at some place that had a great view,” Ball said, referring to the John Hancock Center. “It was called the Signature Room. Outside of that, I’ve just been in the house, but I’ve been around.”
Zach LaVine update
The Bulls shooting guard has been dealing with torn ligaments in his left thumb he suffered Oct. 25 against the Toronto Raptors. While LaVine was seen shooting free throws without a brace during Saturday’s shootaround, Donovan provided an update on his second-leading scorer’s health.