Lonzo Ball Sacrificed His Dreams For This Chance

Lonzo Ball Sacrificed His Dreams For This Chance

They said it was going to be the craziest off season ever. And so far, they weren’t lying. Kevin Durant, Drew Holiday, Desmond Bane, Porzingis, all big money, high-profile names have been moved already. But perhaps the most interesting trade and the one that will have the biggest impact on next season is one that will be forgotten. When Free Agency starts, everyone will be talking about which allstars teamed up together, which superstars got help, etc., etc. But in its own unique way, the Lonzo ball trade that just happened will be the most significant offseason move all summer. And while that might seem like a hot take right now, I think if you watch till the end of this video, you will agree with me. So, let me make my case from start to finish. Here is a list of bigname players that were moved during last season. Paul George joined Joel Embiid in Philadelphia. Macau Bridges and Carl Anthony Towns joined Brunson in New York. Klay Thompson teamed up with Luca and Kyrie in Dallas. Then throughout the season, LeBron got Luca in LA. Curry got Jimmy Butler in Golden State. But you want to know what the most impactful move of the 2024-25 season really was? It was the Oklahoma City Thunder acquiring Alex Caruso. He’s not an allstar. Far from the sexiest name I just mentioned. His numbers this past season weren’t crazy at all. He only averaged 7.1 points and 2.5 assists per game. But I guarantee you that anybody that watches NBA basketball will agree that if not for that pickup, we have a different NBA champion today. The NBA is like poetry. It rhymes. So, let me paint a picture to you. In the 2023 24 season, the Thunder came out of nowhere. They were the number one seed in the West, winning 57 games. Yet, they failed to translate that regular season success into the postseason and were shockingly defeated by the Dallas Mavericks in the second round. And the Dallas Mavericks, for the second time in three years, are going to the Western Conference Finals.
Does that sound familiar? Because last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers came out of nowhere. They were the number one seed, winning 64 games and were shockingly defeated by the fourth seated Indiana Pacers, who like the Mavs won 50 games before ultimately losing in the NBA finals. The Thunder didn’t go out and get a superstar. They didn’t rush to trade all their depth to get another star like Kevin Durant or break the bank for the biggest names in free agency. No, they quietly got better, strengthened their depth, acquiring Alex Caruso, an experienced, unselfish veteran defensive-minded guard who can shoot the ball, facilitate at high level, and is just a guy who knows how to make winning plays on both ends of the floor. And that is exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers have just done. They quietly went out and got Lonzo Ball, who like Caruso is an experienced, unselfish veteran, a defensive-minded guard who can shoot and facilitate at a high level, and just knows how to make winning plays on both ends of the floor. And I have noticed a theme when looking at NBA champions of recent years. These are the type of pickups that make the difference and take teams to that next level. It’s really not the blockbuster moves. For so long, we have been programmed to believe that if you come up short, you need to go out and get another star. For a while, that was the case. But that’s not the case anymore. Alex Caruso last year isn’t an outlier. Think of all the crazy moves we’ve seen from all stars and superstars over the last 5 years. And then think about who went on to win the NBA championship. Let’s look at the 2024 Boston Celtic. They made a finals run in 2022, lost to the Miami Heat in 2023. But what was it they did in the off season before winning the title? Did they panic? Move one of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Did they sacrifice their whole squad to get a third star around them? No. They went out and got Drew Holiday. Not a Steph Curry Kyrie Irving caliber guard, but a two-way player that clearly impacts winning. Let me ask you something. When the Milwaukee Bucks traded Drew Holiday and got Damen Lillard, was it really an upgrade? Did it make them a better team? Did it bring them closer to winning a championship? No, it didn’t. Because in today’s NBA, you win championships with guys like Drew Holiday and Alex Caruso. And that’s why both of these guys have won two titles with two different teams this decade. And Alonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers is that type of move. He is that profile of player that takes a one-seated team to an NBA championship just like Drew in Boston and Caruso and OKC last year. Now, of course, Drew and Caruso weren’t the only moves that OKC and Boston made, but their other moves follow the same idea. The Thunder also signed Hartinstein. The Celtics got Porzingis. Notice how these guys also aren’t the sexiest names.
Who the is Tingis Pingus?
They aren’t perennial allstars who put up crazy stats. They are above average NBA starters who play a role and make a difference that can’t be measured in a box score. Like I said, free agency is still to come. The Cavaliers may yet still acquire another piece or two that helps take them over the line. But Lonzo Ball is the start of that. And before The NBA season might be over, but with the draft free agency, and all the trades going on right now, the action is far from over. Something big is about to happen, and I’m looking at the Milwaukee Bucks and specifically Janis Antakmpo. The Bucks are desperate. They just cut Damen Lillard. They’re stuck paying his contract for four years and spend all their cap space on Miles Turner. That makes it really hard for them to improve their team. And the whole thing could end up being a disaster if the Bucks aren’t able to compete. Then Giannis might want to leave for a contender. He’s already said that. So unless you think the Bucks have enough to win the title, there’s a very good chance that Giannis gets traded. And if you think that’s going to happen, you can make some serious money on that prediction because a $100 trade on koshi.com for Giannis to get traded this season would pay out $435. The media say we’re going to see some crazy trades and it doesn’t get much crazier than Giannis wanting out. But that’s just my prediction and you can make yours. And it’s not just sports. Koshi has trade markets on almost everything, politics, movies, crypto, music, and more. They have over 1 million users in all 50 states and have facilitated over two billion trades. So if you want to try it out, koshi.com will give $10 to anyone who signs up using my link at kshi.com/dm or my promo code DKM. That’s kshi.com/dm and promo code DKM. Check it out by clicking the link down below in the description. Anyways, before I make this case, I must clear up misconceptions surrounding Lonzo Bald the basketball player. Last season, he averaged just 7.6 points, 3.4 four rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, shooting only 36% from the field and 34% from the perimeter. It looks like a drastic falloff from his first year in Chicago when comparing the numbers on the screen. But you have to remember it was his first year back. He was on a minutes restriction and playing for a worse Bulls team. If you really want to understand the true value of Lonzo Ball, just listen to how highly regarded he is by his teammates. Even when Lonzo’s not, I guess in y’all’s words, not shooting well, he’s still out there playing great defense and, you know, applying pressure on defensive end. And, you know, nights like tonight and previous night when he’s shooting well and applying pressure like that, Lonzo’s a great player like and, you know, I just wish he get the the full respect he deserves.
Lonzo got hurt.
Got hurt. His knee um
that hurt. that that that killed us. Like that just took everything out of us because
Lonzo put like he when you talk about a piece that’s missing for something
and everything else right around it,
Lonzo was that that big piece of the puzzle that put everything together for for for all of us and but he could dominate from every aspect of a game.
Yeah.
At the highest level.
This pickup is low risk, high reward. Lonzo has played only 35 games in the last 3 years. He’s been injuryprone his entire career, playing just 287 NBA games going into his ninth season. But the Cavs didn’t give up much to get him. They only gave up Isaac Aoro, who they were looking to move on from anyway. We have to reprogram our minds, forget who he could have been, and look at who he is now. Almost 10 years ago, he was supposed to be the next big thing. We all remember the Ball family phenomenon. Lonzo was the number two pick in the NBA draft. He was supposed to be the face of the Lakers post Kobe. He was labeled the heir of Showtime Laker basketball by Magic Johnson himself, the guy who picked him ahead of Jason Tatum in the 2017 NBA draft. Lonzo will be 28 years old next season, 10 years removed from that famous Chino Hills High School dynasty and 9 years removed from when he set the college basketball world on fire at UCLA. Some people will say his career so far has been a disappointment. He’s never made an all-star game and hasn’t come close to the heights that were expected of him coming into the league. Injuries played a big part in that, but he has also never had the opportunity to play at his very best. His time in LA was overshadowed. His rookie year was all about Lavar and the big baller brand and the expectations that came with that. His second year, LeBron James came to town and everything changed. He was sacrificed in the Anthony Davis trade. When he got to New Orleans, things looked promising. It took some time, but in time, Lonelo carved out a nice role and for a period of time looked like he was becoming the player we saw at UCLA. He showed great chemistry with Zion Williamson, the new franchise player. But yet again, right before everything could come together and click. He was on the move again. New Orleans were stingy. They didn’t want to pay him. And then in 2021, he signed with the Chicago Bulls. And for a short moment, he was in basketball heaven. Lonzo was the missing piece. He came in and completely changed the Chicago Bulls. He became one of the best defensive guards in the league. Him and Caruso together would suffocate opposing teams on the perimeter. Both Lavine and D Rozan were playing at all NBA levels. Vousvich was an all-star. They had depth. They were well coached. They had it all. The 2021-22 Chicago Bulls were truly ahead of their time. They were proof that you don’t necessarily need multiple superstars to win. People are quick to forget that the Chicago Bulls had the number one record in the East well past the new year that season. But everything came crashing down when Lonzo Ball went down. What was originally knee soreness became a meniscus tear. That tear became multiple unsuccessful surgeries. He went under the knife not once, not twice, but three times. Lonzo Ball was ruled out for almost three full years. He missed two and a half full seasons. Didn’t play a game of basketball for over 1,000 days. He signed a 4-year deal with the Chicago Bulls and was pretty much injured for the entirety of his contract, playing just 70 games in 4 years. But the craziest part of it all is Lonzo Ball should not still be playing basketball. Retirement was not just a possibility, it was a probability. He took an unprecedented recovery path. After failed surgeries, he required a donor to transplant cartilage into his knee. He became the first NBA player to ever undergo this procedure. It was an incredible risk, but also Lonzo’s only option. And to be truthful, it is a miracle that he is still playing NBA basketball. And that reality makes me believe that Lonzo Ball came back for a reason. He has a purpose to fulfill within this sport. And in Cleveland, he has the perfect opportunity to fulfill that purpose. He has always been a winning player. He went undefeated in high school, completely transformed the UCLA program, and after his injury, the Bulls were never the same. They still had D Rozan, Lavine, Vousvich, Caruso, all these guys have been raving about in this video, but they couldn’t replace Lonzo Ball and what he brought to their team because he positively impacts the game in so many ways. Lonzo is the type of player that makes everybody around him better. We even saw that in glimpses this season upon his return with the Bulls. But these type of players that do what Lonzo does, they aren’t truly appreciated until they are in a winning environment. Nobody talked about how good Drew Holiday really was in New Orleans. He was the same player doing the same things, but he didn’t get his flowers until he went and won in Milwaukee and then later in Boston. Now he is highly regarded as one of the best two-way players of his generation. Likewise with Derek White. He was a good player in San Antonio, but it wasn’t until he joined the Celtics that people realized how good he actually was. Now he’s not only an NBA champion, but an Olympic gold medalist. The truth is people only appreciate role players on winning teams. You only see how good they are in the playoffs. In the regular season, everyone is so fixated on stats and where players rank among the best in their position. During the regular season, nobody talks about guys like Andrew Neart, Josh Hart, Naz Reed, Aaron Gordon. But when you watch them in the playoffs, you think to yourself, “Wow, I wish that guy was on my team.” And Lonzo Ball is going to be that guy with the Cavaliers. Now, of course, we do have to adjust our expectations. After four knee surgeries, it’s unfair to expect Lonzo to be the guy he was when he first arrived in Chicago. But the beauty in this move is he doesn’t have to be. And I’ll explain how Lonzo fits in and amongst all this after I break down what the Cavs have and what makes them special. Their rotation is stacked. Darius Garland is the point guard. He’s an all-star for a reason. He’s an elite playmaker with a sizzling handle who shot 40% from three-point range last season. He’s a fantastic player and a top 10 point guard in this league. They have Donovan Mitchell at the two, who to me is one of the most underrated stars in the NBA. Last season, he finally got his flowers making first team allNBA. Donovan Mitchell is a top tier NBA scorer, a playoff riser who people forget before leading the Cavaliers to the one seed last season did so in Utah as well in the stacked West with the second best player being Rudy Goar. Donovan Mitchell has accomplished a lot more in the NBA than other stars around his age who get a lot more love than he does. At the three, they have Max Strus, a team player who knows his place, a reliable three-point shooter who shot 39% last season. Just a guy who can do everything at a decent enough level, plays hard on both ends, who contributes to the game positively in a multitude of ways. At the four, they have Evan Moily, and his game speaks for itself. Last year’s defensive player of the year, he’s a 611 versatile tweener who can protect the rim, guard the perimeter, is good for a double double on any given night. He’s a threat in the pick and roll. He’s skilled enough to handle the ball face up, post stop. He’s athletic. His offensive game is developing in real time. He’s just a great basketball player. Would make a massive difference for any team in the NBA. And I think he’s the main reason the Cavaliers are as good as they are. And at the five, they have Jarrett Allen. Good for a double double every single night. An elite shot blocker, and one of the most efficient finishers in the league. He shot 71% from the field last season. Jarrett Allen is a guy who knows his limitations. He isn’t trying to step out on the perimeter, be something he isn’t, or face up out of the post. He’s going to do his job, finish efficiently within a few feet of the basket, protect the paint, alter shots at the rim, grab boards on both ends, and make a positive impact for his team. I know there have been a lot of rumors about possibly trading him. If I’m Cleveland, I’m not doing that. More and more, we’re seeing teams in the NBA have success with two sevenfooters. Look at the two one- seated teams this past season. Cleveland have Molay and Allen and OKC have Chatten Hartenstein. Everybody wants the Cavaliers to panic, encouraging them to break it all up to go and get a 40-year-old LeBron James. No, they should follow in the path of OKC. Keep the core together that won you 64 games and got you the one seat and add a few pieces to strengthening your squad depth, which is already among the best in the NBA. I know it’s going to be hard because of the finances, but keeping Tai Jerome would be huge. He was their best bench scorer last season. Shot 43% from beyond the ark. He’s going to be a massive loss if he departs, but it’s not the end of the world. He’s replaceable. They have other contributors, too. Dean Wade is a Swiss Army knife. And the teams that go far in the playoffs have a bunch of 69 athletic two-way wings that can hit the three. And DeAndre Hunter is that profile of player. He shot 42% from the perimeter last season. He’s an important piece for the Cavs, as is the sharpshooter Sam Morurell. He’s a great floor spacer who they just resigned on a favorable contract. A second round pick who came up within their program from the G-League. Definitely somebody who understands the culture there in Cleveland who they’ve done well to keep around long term. So, the Cavaliers have a good thing already established in place. And here’s why Lonzo Ball is a missing piece to the puzzle. The Cavs are a competent, well- coached team. They play a fast-paced, motionheavy offense that prioritizes ball movement, cutting, and spacing. They play quickly in transition, get up a lot of shots, run a lot of pick and roll, and break down defenses looking for the best shot. Offensively, Lonzo slots right in like a glove. He is such a versatile asset to any team. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to become an elite three-point shooter. Gone are the days of his ugly, unorthodox shooting form. Lonzo shot 42% from the three-point line with the Bulls during the 2021-22 season, but his best attribute has always been his passing. Make no mistake about it, Lonzo is one of the best passers in the NBA. Now, I know people will look at the fact that he’s averaged under six assists per game for his career and think otherwise, but people need to understand there’s a difference between being a great passer and a great playmaker. We often think the guys who average the most assists are the best passers, but that’s not always the case. Getting assists and creating easy scoring opportunities for your teammates often requires a level of scoring threat. There are players in the NBA who average more assists than Lonzo does because they pose more of a scoring threat and command more attention from the defense, which enables them to set up their teammates for easier looks. That doesn’t necessarily make them a more accurate passer. In Lonzo’s case, he isn’t much of a scoring threat with the ball in his hands. Not anymore. And after all these surgeries, he isn’t going to have a ridiculously high usage rate handling the ball every possession and running an offense. But in terms of pure passing, and I mean identifying a target and hitting a bullseye, few hoopers in the world do that better than Lonzo Ball. I’m talking about in terms of finding the open man in the right spot, making the quick read, swinging the ball around the perimeter, making the right decision quickly. Lonzo Ball excels in that and it’s an incredibly valuable skill that doesn’t necessarily translate to a statistic every time. Lonzo has also been one of the best transition guards in the NBA. He’s always been an elite defensive rebounder for his position who can get the ball, get out quickly, and turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye. He’s been throwing fullcourt hail Mary passes since Chino Hills. Lonzo will always have that quarterback throwing arm, no matter how many surgeries he goes through. Defensively, he’s a pest. At 66, he moves well laterally and is quick on his feet. Lonzo can still harass ball handlers, pick their pockets. He reads the passing lanes very well and has elite defensive instincts that lead to interceptions. He’s also always been an underrated shot blocker and one of the best in his position throughout his NBA career. Lonzo is a do-it-all point guard, and that’s what’s going to make him such an asset for the Cavaliers. He can be whoever they need him to be. He can play various roles. in Chicago. He learned to master playing off the ball. While he can, he doesn’t need to be the primary ball handler. He is more than happy to spot up, get open, and knock down catch and shoot shots offensively, which allows him to preserve his energy for the defensive end. At 66 with his versatility and skill set, because Lonzo can guard multiple positions, they can mix it up and run a free guard lineup with Garland, Mitchell, and Lonzo. His defensive versatility opens so many doors. He can take on the assignment of matching up with the opposing team’s lead guard and even hang with the taller, more athletic wings. One of the few things the Cavaliers struggled with last season was perimeter defense. And Lonzo Ball is still one of the best in the business. When they need him to, he can also run the offense, lead the second unit at the point guard position alongside Ty Jerome or whoever’s replacement is going to be in the back court. Having a competent backup point guard is crucial for teams in the playoffs. Look no further than the Pacers with TJ McConnell or the Celtics with Payton Pritchard. Lonzo Ball can step in and fill that void at any time. Keep the offense ticking, find the shooters, keep everyone involved while the starters have a rest. If either one of Garland and Mitchell go down with injury, Lonzo can slide into a starting role seamlessly. And contrary to popular belief, Zo has retained some of his athleticism, too. He can still get some easy points cutting back door to the basket and still has the hops to get up there, catch, and throw down lobs. But one of the biggest things about Lonzo is his character. He doesn’t care for individual stats and accolades. He’s the type of player who would rather score two points in a win than 35 in a loss. The only thing Lonzo cares about is winning. His entire life, he barely ever lost. At UCLA or Chino Hills, if he didn’t win a game, he’d start crying. He said that the biggest shock to him when coming to the NBA were how comfortable people were with losing. And nothing proves that more than this. Lonzo’s entire life he dreamed of playing with his brother LaMelo in the NBA. That remains a goal of his. He said that on many occasions. Several times the opportunity has been there to reunite with his brother. But Lonzo has passed on that opportunity every time for one reason only, losing. Lonzo Ball cannot stomach losing. And that’s why instead of joining the Hornets as a free agent this off season, he renewed his contract in Chicago so he could be traded to a contender. All Lonzo Ball wants to do is win. He was built for meaningful basketball games. And in Cleveland, for the first time in his pro career, he will be playing for a contending team. We will see him in high stakes playoff basketball. And I’m telling you right now, as someone who has covered his career since his high school days, this will bring out the best version of Lonzo Ball. I truly believe over these next three, four years, we are going to see a version of Lonzo Ball we’ve never seen before. Kenny Atkinson is going to find a way to best utilize his skill set. And when it matters most in the postseason, people are going to realize how good Lonzo Ball actually is at basketball. I think his career trajectory will mirror the guys I mentioned earlier. Drew Holiday, Derek White, Alex Caruso, championship point guards with big roles on big teams who make great teams even greater. I am not one of those that are overreacting to the Cavs shortcomings this season. I don’t think they’re the 61 Atlanta Hawks. This is a very good team and with Lonzo Ball, they just got better and looking at the top contenders in the Eastern Conference next season, I think the Cavs are the best of the bunch. The Celtics have completely retoled their roster to get in line with the second apron and with no Jason Tatum, I think it’s going to be a long year for them. The Indiana Pacers are not making it this far again next season. The Bucks are on the verge of blowing it all up. They’re definitely not going to the finals. I don’t believe in the 76ers, not in the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler. I still think the Detroit Pistons are a year or two away. So that leaves us with two teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks. And I think the Cavs are the better of those two teams. They’re going to be the number one seed again. And I think they’re coming out of the East. And if that prediction becomes a reality, Lonzo Ball will have an opportunity to compete for an NBA championship and potentially fulfill one of the great comeback stories in recent NBA history. I see Lonzo Ball having a Shawn Livingstonike career. Shawn Livingston had all the potential in the world to be a star. Injuries completely derailed his career. He was on the verge of retirement, but in the end, he had a happy ending and became a key piece for the Golden State Warriors dynasty. Don’t be surprised if we see Lonzo Ball have that type of redemption story because I truly think that great things are upon the horizon for Lonzo Ball. And I just pray that he can stay healthy because if he does, I believe all of this will become his reality very soon. But what do you guys think about the Lonzo ball pickup? Share your thoughts and feedback down below in the comments. And since you’re still here, you must have enjoyed. So, subscribe to the channel, turn on notifications, and check out our last video where we talk about the Memphis Grizzlies signing the second shortest player in the NBA, who they plan to play alongside, the other shortest player in the NBA. To watch that video, all you need to do is click the big box in the middle of your screen right here. Like the video if you enjoyed. And on that note, it’s DKM signing out. Until next time and peace.

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Lonzo Ball just got traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and now that Lonzo is fully healthy again we are gonna see the UCLA Lonzo Ball in the NBA.

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0:00 – Intro
4:52 – Sponsorship
6:24 – Lonzo Trade

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