The NBA season has begun, and the Lonzo Ball “bust” talk is in full swing. Believe it or not, Lonzo Ball and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott have a lot in common.
Age
Both Prescott and Ball are in the early stages of their careers and are very young. As fans, it’s hard to be patient with Lonzo, but he’s 20 years old and has just 16 games under his belt. Likewise, Prescott is in his second year as the Cowboys signal caller, at just 24 years old. The expectations aren’t getting any lower for either Ball or Prescott, and they’ll both live up to their hype…sooner or later.
Expectations
It’s implied that the QB of the Cowboys and the PG of the Lakers will have higher expectations than almost any other athlete. Lonzo Ball’s scoring ability has been heavily scrutinized in his first month in the NBA, despite Ball having never been a great scorer (even in college). Similarly, without Elliott until late December, Prescott, as the leader of the Cowboys offense, will have even higher expectations than before.
The Real Reason: Prescott and Ball are Dependent Players
Dak and Lonzo are really good talents, however, they’re both dependent players. They aren’t good enough to win on their own. Lonzo will never be Russell Westbrook, and Dak Prescott will never be Aaron Rodgers, and that’s okay. Without the Dallas O-Line, Ezekiel Elliott, and a solid receiving corps, Dak Prescott is not a very good quarterback.
For example, against the Broncos, Ezekiel Elliott was held under 10 yards rushing, and Prescott was outplayed by Trevor Siemian. The fact that both Elliott and Prescott struggled mightily in the same game isn’t a coincidence. Likewise, without a good offensive team and top NBA talent around him, Lonzo isn’t a very good point guard. On an incompetent Lakers team, Ball is averaging just under 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists a game, on just 30% shooting. Having said this, Prescott is still a great NFL quarterback and Ball will be a great distributor on offense, so long as the Lakers can make some free agent and/or trade acquisitions in the coming off season.
However…
Although it may seem as if I’m trashing Ball and Prescott, I’m not. Prescott is a franchise quarterback in the NFL and Lonzo will be one of the two best passers in the NBA in the near future. Both Prescott and Ball will be very good for a very long time, so long as they both have a solid surrounding cast.
The Differences
Although both athletes have similarities, they also have several differences. Prescott was selected in the fourth round of the draft and was not a highly touted prospect out of college. Ball, however, was selected second overall as a hyped up guard out of UCLA. He came in with booming expectations to save the Lakers franchise from their prolonged struggles. Prescott has surpassed all expectations placed on him since his rookie year. He’s become a top 10 quarterback in the NFL. Ball has yet to prove his worth on the Lakers, but he will. When LeBron comes, and LeBronzo is a tandem in LA. Then people will realize his ability.