Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player in the NBA this season

Chicago Bulls is the Most Improved Player in the NBA this season.</p> <p>While he was a freshman at UCLA, Lonzo Ball’s outspoken father <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/11/30/lavar-ball-asserts-again-that-his-son-lonzo-is-better-than-steph-curry/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHe's%20a%20good%20player%2C%E2%80%9D,my%20son%2C%E2%80%9D%20Ball%20said.&amp;text=For%20one%20night%2C%20anyway%2C%20Lonzo,category%2C%20three%2Dpoint%20shooting." target="_blank" rel="noopener">made the infamous claim</a> that his son was already a better player than superstar Steph Curry.</p> <p>Years later, it was stated that the goal behind this outrageous claim was to create publicity and improve Lonzo’s draft status. It seemed to work at the time, as Ball was drafted 2nd overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, ahead of players like Jayson Tatum and De’ Aaron Fox.</p> <h2>Lonzo Ball of the Chicago Bulls is the Most Improved Player in the NBA. His play should be rewarded with the trophy this season.</h2> <p>High expectations are not always a good thing in the world of professional sports. There’s a reason the Lakers had the 2nd pick in the draft back in 2017; they weren’t a very good team.</p> <p>Ball was far from a bust, but the lofty projections made by some pundits set the bar impossibly high. He was expected to rescue a team that did not have the pieces in place to be competitive. After two seasons in LA, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.</p> <p>Getting out of Los Angeles proved to be a blessing in disguise for Ball. He was able to concentrate on his craft and get away from his hometown for the first time in his life. Not only did he go to high school in LA, but he also played for the UCLA Bruins in college</p> <p>Going to New Orleans was the vacation from the spotlight that he desperately needed. Now in his fifth season, Ball is a member of the Chicago Bulls and playing some of the best basketball of his career. Let’s take a closer look at why Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player in the league this year.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Improvement as a defender </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440464" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-440464 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1174,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1356283735.jpeg" alt="Lonzo Ball" width="1600" height="1174" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1356283735.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1356283735-768x564.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 29: LaMelo Ball (2) of the Charlotte Hornets and brother Lonzo Ball (2) of the Chicago Bulls chase a loose ball at United Center on November 29, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Why Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player: Improvement as a defender</h2> <p>Even when he was a member of the UCLA Bruins, Lonzo Ball was known as an elite perimeter defender. At 6-6, his wingspan and quickness make it tough for opposing guards to execute pinpoint passes with precision and accuracy. Ball has a knack for making deflections, coming up with steals, and winning the battle for loose balls.</p> <p>This season, Lonzo Ball’s defensive contributions have reached an all-time high. Bulls head coach Billy Donovan is notorious for being a defensive strategist. Under his guidance, Lonzo Ball has become a terror on the defensive side of the ball.</p> <p>So far this season he is averaging 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game – both career-highs. When the opposing team’s point guard is forced to battle his defensive prowess the whole game, their entire offense is disrupted.</p> <p>Over the years, defense-first guards have proven to be a valuable commodity in the NBA. The first year the Defensive Player of The Year Award was issued, it went to a guard named Sidney Moncrieff of the Milwaukee Bucks. Years later, another point guard by the name of Gary Payton would take home the same hardware as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. Today, both men are in the Hall of Fame.</p> <p>While Lonzo Ball will not win the Defensive Player of the Year, and Hall of Fame projections are very premature, the impact he is having on that side of the ball cannot be understated. It’s one of the main reasons he’s the Most Improved Player in the NBA this season.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Reliable outside shooter </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440465" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="size-full wp-image-440465" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1362896820.jpeg" alt="Lonzo Ball" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1362896820.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1362896820-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JANUARY 03: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls during the game against the Orlando Magic at United Center on January 03, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Why Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player: Reliable outside shooter</h2> <p>Lonzo Ball and his brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo were still high school YouTube sensations when the 2015 Golden State Warriors changed the NBA forever. That season, the sharp-shooting backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson led the team to an NBA championship with an offense that heavily relied on spacing and three-point shooting. The league hasn’t been the same since.</p> <p>When Ball was a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers, the most heavily repeated criticisms about him was that he was not a knockdown shooter. In the modern NBA, guards have to be able to catch and shoot.</p> <p>Big men are being double-teamed faster than ever; when they kick the ball back outside the paint to an open shooter, the perimeter player must be able to make the defense pay for taking a gamble. When Lonzo was young opposing teams felt comfortable letting him shoot the open jump shot. That is not the case anymore.</p> <p>This season, he is shooting a career-best 41.6 percent from beyond the arc. Generally, anything above 40 percent is considered exceptional; Ball is on pace to surpass that mark.</p> <p>The primary offensive options for the Bulls are Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, and Nikola Vučević. However, the supporting cast must be ready to knock down shots when defenses collapse on the team’s Big Three. So far this season, Ball has more than held up his end of the bargain.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Winning culture </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_440422" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img class="wp-image-440422 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2022/01/10/lonzo-ball-most-improved-player/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1237032308.jpeg" alt="Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player in the NBA this season" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1237032308.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1237032308-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 04: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Chicago Bulls celebrates with Zach LaVine #8 after hitting a three pointer late in the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 04, 2021 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.Chicago Bulls defeated the Brooklyn Nets 111-107. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Why Lonzo Ball is the Most Improved Player: Winning culture</h2> <p>As a fifth-year NBA veteran, Lonzo Ball is yet to play in his first playoff game. That will finally change this spring; the Chicago Bulls are currently in 1st place in the Eastern Conference and are one of the “feel good” stories of the season.</p> <p>During the past two seasons, Ball’s play improved considerably as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. Unfortunately, his contributions were overshadowed by the teams losing record. This is the first time in his professional career that he’s able to enjoy both individual and team success.</p> <p>Hall of Fame Center, Shaquille O’Neal once said “Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.” Lonzo Ball’s contributions to helping the Bulls win games is a prime example of this.</p> <p>Getting a key steal in the fourth quarter is a singular act. Hitting a three-pointer that ends an offensive drought in the second half is a singular act. However, Ball has made a habit of making these types of plays on a nightly basis this season.</p> <p>His perimeter defense, shooting, and leadership have helped catapult Chicago to the top of the Conference in his first season with the team. That speaks volumes about his worth as a point guard.</p> <p>The Most Improved Player Award is designed to reward an individual player whose performance and impact on team success improve at a rapid pace. Last season, Lonzo Ball was the starting point guard on a team that failed to qualify for the play-in tournament.</p> <p>This year, he’s the starting point guard for a winning ball club that has become the most exciting team in the league. His teammates and coaches have praised his leadership and the evidence can be found in the win column.</p> <p>That is why Lonzo Ball, more than anyone else, deserves to take home the Most Improved Player Award this season.</p> <p> </p><!—pageview_candidate—>">