Why Lonzo Ball can ‘1000%’ lift the Cavs … but it will take time

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell is the beat to walk people in itself, but his eyes also widen when Lonzo Ball passes the rock. Reminiscent of an earlier Cavs practice, Ball was in the backcourt by the sideline when he launched one of his patented three-quarter court shots into the opposite corner into the hands of a waiting teammate.

“He fell perfectly,” Mitchell said after Sunday’s 117-109 win over the Atlanta Hawks. “Now, did they film it? No. But it was like a football catch. Just, like, right here. No thinking. That’s his first thought, just to get it up there.”

Seeing him in a similar light as two of the Mitchell’s favorite former teammateshe was inspired to try his own ball-style ball about Larry Nance Jr. down the numbers floor.

“I’ve been blessed to play with Ricky Rubio twice, and he’s right up there with Ricky as far as passing and IQ level,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, Mike (Conley), I wouldn’t call him a pass player, but he definitely plays for everybody. And when I say pass, I mean he plays the right game. But Zoe passes, the things he does, he plays like he’s back in Chino Hills.

“When you have a guy like that who just sees the game … even if it doesn’t lead to points, right? Like, it’s just driving the ball down the floor. The things he does in practice are crazier than what I’ve seen in the game. But it’s something that’s great for me to see because I’m like, ‘Hey, this is how I can improve myself.’ And then, the fact that he makes the game so much easier for everybody.”

It’s doubly effective when it happens in a game setting, but there’s one small snag: The Cavs have to be ready for it. Through six games, Ball has a career-worst 29.7% turnover percentage, and 12 of his gifts are considered “bad passes,” according to Basketball Reference. While Ball may have been to blame for some of them, most were just the result of learning his teammates’ tendencies — and them learning his.

“We had some miscommunications, especially on offense, and I think that’s part of the turnover situation we’re dealing with right now,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said before Sunday’s game.

There were multiple instances of cornerbacks cutting and Ball throwing the ball behind them out of bounds. At other times, he thought guys were noticing and shot into the lane. Atkinson notes that his penchant for going big caught them off guard.

“We’re just not used to it,” Atkinson said after the win. “We really haven’t had a player that likes it. So our guys adjust, ‘Well, oh man, if he’s going to throw this pass, my technique better be better in terms of when to seal? Do I seal earlier? Do I give him more space?’ So, just such subtleties. We are a bit outside of him, so we have to adapt to him a bit, what are his attributes.”

“He’s quick to get you the ball when you’re open,” added Evan Mobley last Friday at a shootout. “So everybody in that lineup has to be ready to shoot the ball, and I’m definitely going to be ready.” Jaylon Tyson went so far as to say he was blessed to play with a “baller” like him, pun intended or not.

The reality is that none of this is on one person, and the fact that it’s early November.

“I mean, we’re still a week and a half, two weeks in, so we definitely have to build some more rhythm together,” Ball said. “But as you can see, I think every game is getting a little better. It really starts on film. I think we have really good film sessions as a team. It’s an open dialogue. It’s pretty new for everybody, so obviously there’s going to be some growing pains, but we’re trying to get through that as quickly as possible.”

Using Sunday’s positive step as an example, Mitchell pointed out that Ball can take over on certain possessions in crunch time while he, Mobley and De’Andre Hunter focus on getting open.

“You can still see miscommunications, but this was a game where I felt like he really felt a part of this winning and winning for a while, and him and Don kind of ran the ball,” Atkinson said. “So hopefully that gives him a little confidence boost and makes him a little more comfortable with what we’re doing.”

“It helps mentally, I guess,” Ball added in closing Sunday’s contest. “Obviously I want to be there to do what I can, help win games, and that’s what I’ve done. I think as long as we stay together, though, as a whole, no matter who’s there, we’ve got a lot of guys that can play and finish games.”

Lonzo Ball has plenty of time to hang out with the Cavs

Atkinson was pleased that Ball fit in with wine and gold. He understands how much has come off the cuff, not paying attention to Ball’s .316/.286/.600 shooting.

“I think if you were to be critical, you could say, well, he’s not shooting, but that’s not my criteria for how you fit in,” Atkinson said. “So it’s been a little tough for him. It’s not easy to judge. But I know this: He’s doing everything we’re asking him to do, throw the ball forward, throw the ball over. I said this at the beginning of the year, I want Lonzo to be Lonzo, so right now I’m fine with him playing his game until we can really, really define his role.”

“I mean, I’m tough on myself regardless of the outcomes,” Ball added. “If we lose a game, I’m especially mad. But other than that, it’s very early. I think we definitely have a whole ‘nother step that we can get to. But unfortunately, it’s going to take time, so I can’t get too frustrated with the process. You just have to believe in it and let the chips fall where they may in the end.”

The impact of the ball on the boards can’t be overstated, as the Cavs’ offensive rebounding percentage drops by 7.1% when he’s off the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass. And on the flip side, opponents grab 8.0% more of their offensive rebounds when Ball sits. Both of those figures put him in the 90th percentile among guards.

There’s also no doubting the difference Ball has made in pace. Six of Cleveland’s seven fastest lineups they turned it on. Defensively, in the whole team, everyone breaks down, which can lead to success.

“It sure helps when you stop,” Ball said. “I think today was the first time we ended up going 1-5 as well, a little bit less. I think that helped us stay in front of the ball a lot and get the shots we want on the other end. Just fly around and get the ball off the glass and go from there.”

Asked in Brooklyn two weeks ago if Ball could take wine and gold to new heights, Atkinson replied: “A thousand percent.

“You look at tempo, first and foremost. Defensively, we know who he is, but we just watch him, we just keep pushing the tempo, even if nobody’s with him. Just to set that tone, make this run. It’s just a different dynamic that we have, and I think it’s going to make us a lot more unpredictable.”