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Lonzo Ball‘s NBA career has had its ups and downs. The former No. 2 overall pick entered the league in 2017 with enormous expectations and then saw injuries completely derail his career. Of course, there was also the drama that came with being LaVar Ball’s son, and the business side of the family’s talents. Now, at 28 years old, Ball is facing questions about whether he can continue playing at the NBA level. His 2025-26 season with Cleveland ended with just 35 games, and his production fell to 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game while shooting 30.1% from the field and 27.2% from three. That is a tough place for a player who had all the tools to become a superstar point guard. His career failed to reach the superstar level many expected after he was selected No. 2 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers, but there was also a stretch when he became a useful two-way starter and dedicated winner, particularly in New Orleans and Chicago. The best question to ask is what he could have become if his body had cooperated. The No. 2 Pick Came With Massive Expectations Ball was never like any other prospect. Coming out of UCLA, he was selected No. 2 overall by the Lakers in the 2017 NBA Draft, immediately putting him under one of the biggest spotlights in basketball. He arrived with a reputation as an elite passer, a 6’6″ point guard who could see plays develop before everybody else and ignite a fast break with one pass. It also didn’t help that at the time, Lakers legend Magic Johnson was President of Basketball Operations and strongly believed in Lonzo’s abilities. His rookie season showed both sides of what we have come to know. Ball averaged 10.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for Los Angeles. The shooting was rough as he made only 36.0% of his field-goal attempts and 30.5% from three, but there was clearly something there. The problem was that the expectations were enormous. Ball wasn’t judged against other rookies. He was judged against the idea that he could become the next great Lakers point guard. Every missed jumper, awkward shot, and turnover received extra attention, while his defense and passing were overlooked. That made his early career feel more disappointing than it actually was. In only 52 games played with the Lakers in his first season, he missed out on the All-Rookie Team. The following season with the team, Lonzo played 47 games (45 starts) and averaged 9.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 40.6% from the field and 32.9% from three. No question, the arrival of LeBron James accelerated the timeline of the Lakers, and Ball’s time was essentially up by the end of his second season with the team. New Orleans Was The Beginning Of The “What If?” The 2019-20 season was probably the first time Ball started looking like the player many thought he could become. Outside of the Lakers spotlight and with the New Orleans Pelicans, he became more comfortable around new players and showcased an improved three-point shot. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 37.5% from three. Those aren’t superstar numbers, but they showed development. Remember, Lonzo only shot 31.5% from deep over his two seasons with the Lakers, so the growth was real. Then came 2020-21, the best statistical season of his career. Ball averaged 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 37.8% from three and 78.1% from the free-throw line. More importantly, he started 55 of his 55 games. That season was enough for the Chicago Bulls to believe he could be an important piece of their emerging roster. Chicago Was Where Everything Started To Click Ball’s move to Chicago might have been the most encouraging chapter of his career. The Bulls needed him to defend, push the pace, shoot open threes, and make quick decisions. And for a brief period, it worked beautifully. In 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and a career-high 42.3% from three. That three-point number was particularly impressive considering how much skepticism surrounded his shooting coming into the league. That version of Lonzo Ball had real value, and we thought the then-24-year-old would finally blossom into the two-way star expected of him. Unfortunately, the chaos was only starting as his body could not hold up any longer. His Knees Changed Everything This is where the “draft bust” label cannot be placed on Lonzo. Ball suffered a meniscus injury during the 2021-22 season and ultimately underwent surgery. He did not play at all during the 2022-23 or 2023-24 seasons. Two entire NBA seasons disappeared from his career. He returned to the Bulls in the 2024-25 season, posting 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 36.6% from the field and 34.4% from deep. For a player whose greatest advantages included athleticism, mobility, and instincts, losing two years in his mid-20s was devastating. And even when he returned, he wasn’t the same player. He managed only 35 games in 2024-25 with Chicago and another 35 games in 2025-26 with Cleveland. That’s just 70 games across two seasons. The fact that he was able to return at all deserves recognition, but the reality is that the injuries have made sustained NBA production incredibly difficult. His Return Was A Win, Even If The Numbers Were Ugly There is no sugarcoating Ball’s 2025-26 numbers. With Cleveland, he averaged just 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 20.8 minutes per game. He shot 30.1% overall and 27.2% from three. Those numbers are a long way from the player who shot 42.3% from three in Chicago. But Ball was trying to maintain an NBA career after missing two consecutive seasons and playing only 35 games in the previous season. His body has been the story of his career for several years now. That doesn’t mean teams should ignore the production. NBA teams ultimately have to judge what a player can give them today, not what he used to be. It’s a shame that this is where Lonzo is at right now. His Passing Was Always The Real Deal If there is one part of Ball’s game that never needed much explanation, it was his passing. He entered the league with elite court vision, and he met the eye test with his natural ability to make plays happen. His career mark is 5.6 assists per game, and his first three seasons showed just how effective he could be as a creator. In 2019-20 with New Orleans, he averaged 7.0 assists while playing alongside Jrue Holiday and Zion Williamson, and in 2020-21 he averaged 5.7 assists in 55 games. He also developed into a much more willing scorer, which was important because early in his career defenses could simply dare him to shoot. The underrated part of Ball’s game was his ability to make plays without dominating the ball. He could grab a defensive rebound, look up, and fire an outlet pass before the defense had even gotten organized. That skill never disappeared, even as his athleticism and availability became major concerns. The Defensive Player We Don’t Talk About Enough Ball’s defensive impact was another reason every team placed heavy expectations on him. At 6’6″ with elite athleticism, he had unusual size for a point guard and used it well. For one, he was a capable shot-blocker. He has a career average of 0.6 blocks per game, an elite number for a point guard. His career-high came with the Bulls, when he posted 0.9 blocks per game, and he posted at least 0.6 blocks per game four times in his career. His hands were also extremely active, and his career average of 1.5 steals per game reflects that defensive activity. During his Chicago peak, he averaged 1.8 steals in 2021-22 and combined that with strong rebounding and team defense. That two-way ability is precisely what made his injury situation so painful. So, Was Lonzo Ball A Bust Or A “What-If”? If we’re judging Ball against the expectations of the No. 2 overall pick, then yes, his career has been disappointing. Ball was supposed to become a franchise point guard considering all the hype around him. There was supposed to be an All-Star appearance, perhaps even multiple ones. Instead, he has played seven seasons and appeared in only 322 games. His career averages sit at 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 39.2% from the field and 35.5% from deep on 30.1 minutes per game. But a bust implies that the player simply wasn’t good enough. That doesn’t describe Ball. He became a productive starter, shot 42.3% from three during his best season, and became one of the better rebounding and passing guards in the league. At his best, Ball was a starting-caliber two-way point guard who could defend, pass, rebound, and shoot from deep. His 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons showed a player who had figured out how to make his unusual skill set work at the highest level. He played 322 NBA games (256 starts), produced 1,814 assists and 483 steals, and developed from a shaky shooter into a legitimate three-point threat. But the uncomfortable truth is that availability is part of being an NBA player, and Ball simply hasn’t been able to stay on the floor. At 28, after appearing in only 70 games over the last two seasons, his future is legitimately uncertain. So if Ball does walk away from basketball, his career will leave us with a frustrating question: What could he have become if the injuries never happened? We may never know. And that’s what makes LaMelo Ball one of the biggest “what-if” careers of his generation, and not a bust.