Lonzo, LiAngelo, and LaMelo Ball have redefined amateur basketball. In the only season all three brothers played together, 2016, they led the Chino Hills Huskies to a 35-0 record and the #1 high school ranking in the whole country!
Lonzo Ball averaged 23.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 11.7 assists in 2016. Yes, a triple double for the whole season. He consistently scored on 30-foot jumpers and made the opposing defense look silly when guarding him. With his 6’6” frame, Lonzo broke opponents’ game plans as they could not make their short 6-foot point guard defend someone who can dunk on them with ease. After his amazing senior season at Chino Hills in which he won Mr. Basketball USA, scouts still doubted his athleticism and shooting form. They thought it would be difficult for him to adjust to a college system. The one thing that these scouts did not know is that when someone with the skillset of Lonzo Ball joins a team, he is not pushed into the system, the system is built around him. He proved this when in UCLA last season, Lonzo averaged 14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists and led the Bruins to the Sweet 16 where they lost to the Kentucky Wildcats.
LiAngelo Ball has been overshadowed by the dominance of his two brothers Lonzo and LaMelo. Many people believe that both Lonzo and LaMelo will be starring in the NBA, but LiAngelo won’t even make the league. One of these people happen to be his father, LaVar who said LiAngelo will not make the NBA in an interview with GQ Magazine. LiAngelo Ball averaged 33.8 points last season at Chino Hills. He ranked in the top 10 in scoring in the whole country. He scored 56 points one night, and the next day, he stepped on the court and scored 72 points. The only problem with LiAngelo Ball is that he can only score. He cannot really rebound or pass and he is also a lackluster defensive player. Many players come to the NBA lacking some skill. Then, in the offseason, they get taught by NBA players and coaches as well as their trainer and improve. I believe LiAngelo Ball will become one of these players. He will prove his father wrong and show the world that he is a legit all-around player next season at UCLA.
LaMelo Ball has been the face of high school basketball since he dropped 92 points in early February of this season. Even though it is a popular opinion that he cherry-picked all of his points, in a video by BallerVisions, it was proved that LaMelo only cherry picked 22 points and worked hard to score the other 70 points. LaMelo is a better version of Lonzo because he can score at a higher rate and much more efficiently. His passing and finishing at the rim skills are similar to Lonzo’s. The difference is that LaMelo is 3 years younger which means he can fine-tune his already great skills. This is scary for all his competition.
Watch out because the Ball brothers will bring a new generation of fast-paced offense into the NBA within the next few years.