Lonzo Puts The Ball Where It Needs To Go

Lonzo Ball ditched his kicks, and may not be all that explosive off the dribble, but ultimately will be just fine. For whatever it’s worth, he was named Summer League MVP yesterday. While earning this honor he averaged 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists and did many, many good passes, which are the one true mixtape material.

Pick your flavor: transition bounce passes slicing across the lane, entry passes plopped in the only possible pocket of space, lots of full-court quarterbacking, and, best of all, the fast break where he either prods or punches the ball some 50 feet ahead for an uncontested dunk. (It’s hard to appreciate how far the ball’s traveling until you realize it goes from one arc to the other.) Enjoy this dimes-only reel:

And then take in his full highlights if you want to see lots of other passes, as well as his funky release and finishing ability:

The actual NBA will pose a much harsher test of his skills and limitations, but so far it looks like he’s bound for a solid career without much of a first step. And he’ll be a joy to watch with the ball in his hands and teammates streaking out into open court. LaVar Ball could—perhaps will—spend the next decade standing at mid-court and doing the Ric Flair “Woo!” after every Lakers game, and it would not make his son’s distribution of the basketball any less enjoyable.