New Orleans Pelicans: Three bold predictions for Lonzo Ball in 2019
By Jason Reed
2. Lonzo Ball becomes an everyday starter by the turn of the calendar
Lonzo Ball probably is not a starter on the New Orleans Pelicans if we were to throw a roster out right now. Jrue Holiday would get the start at point guard with J.J. Redick at the two-guard, leaving Ball to come off the bench and likely still get a good chunk of minutes.
In that good chunk of minutes, Ball is going to prove the things that I mentioned in the previous slide and is going to make Alvin Gentry make a decision. That decision is demoting one of the starters to make way for Ball, with Redick being the sacrificial lamb.
It makes more sense for Redick to come off the bench anyways for the Pelicans. He instantly would become one of the best sixth-men in the year and this would allow him to keep his legs fresh as he enters the latter stages of his career.
Not only that, but his role as a three-point specialist is absolutely suited for someone to come off the bench, still play starter-like minutes and go on a heat check.
This slides Holiday to the two, which is absolutely fine. Holiday is a capable point guard but Ball does more point guard things better than Holiday, who is a better scoring guard.
A Lonzo Ball-Jrue Holiday starting backcourt is absolutely something to get excited about both offensively an defensively, which leads me to my final prediction.