Name of the Night 1/17 - Lonzo "Zo" Ball

I am just going to say it aloud, the NBA is a better league with Lonzo around. There is just something about his ability to serve as the perfect archetype of a 3/D point guard that makes him more valuable than he is, and he truly is a perfect fit on nearly any team (in my opinion of course). His game is extremely fantasy friendly, and while he is limited by his severe injury history, Zo is still capable of carving his niche on the fantasy landscape.

The most obvious part of his game he excels at, his defensive ability as a guard is practically unrivaled at the position. An athletic 6'6", Lonzo often has a size advantage on other guards while being just as mobile. He also has an extremely high defensive IQ, often being able to jump in between passing lanes or get in the blind spot of opposing ball handlers. This had led him to hit incredible steal numbers on the season so far, limited only by the minute restrictions placed on him by the medical staff monitoring his rehab. Lonzo has hit a particularly strong steals run of late, seeing his already impressive 1.5 steals per game jump up to an elite 2 steals over the last two weeks. This has corresponded with an increase in minutes, as his limits have slowly crept from 20 mpg all the way up to about 25 mpg. Increased playtime will always see him do what he does best, and his Z-Score on the category has been an impressive 1.36 over the last two weeks.

Lonzo also brings elite level spacing to the floor as well, being able to fix his biggest flaw since his arrival to the NBA over the past few years of his career (active career, uninjured). The past week has seen him hit a new gear in shooting, with his 3.3 3PM exceeding the volume of his last full season uninjured (3.1 3PM). He has also managed to achieve this feat in about ten less minutes as well, all while hitting at a reasonable (slightly, slightly inflated) 45.5% clip. It comes as no surprise that field goal attempts are up, with the Bulls focusing on an extremely high tempo in order to maximize their attempts per game. The Bulls have a ton of offensive firepower on their roster, and Lonzo is able to work in between those options in order to maximize team performance (often in the form of easy assists or spacing). Over 80% of his attempts are taken from deep, helping him truly remain a three point anchor even with his limited playtime.

In the case of Lonzo, he is a very complete fantasy player held back only by his role in the rotation. The numbers don't lie, and his incredible play for Chicago makes him one of their most impactful players by most margins. Unfortunately for him, he might never be given a bigger run this season, as even injuries to those around him likely do not change the strict limitations set in place by his medical team. However, even amidst the frustrating workload, Lonzo has managed to rank as the 70th player over the course of the last two weeks. His ability to excel where teammates struggle (playing off ball, defense, playmaking) will always make him a strong option to play, and he remains more than just a 3/D fantasy player. He has only a few weaknesses (Points, Reb) while being able to provide valuable block numbers out of position (in addition to everything else). A strong category add when the Bulls do not have any back to backs, Lonzo sits at a mere 23% rostered on Yahoo, despite ranking inside the top 120 for the last two months. While he lacks the obscene upside he might once have had, he remains a premier end of roster option should you value consistency.

Strong Cats: STEALS, Threes, Assists, Blocks, Turnovers

Weak Cats: Points, Rebounds

Add Priority: ⭐⭐⭐★★

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