Lonzo Ball is one of the best passers in the NBA, and the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t used to it. He’s passing the ball so quickly that the team has had to adapt, creating a learning curve that both sides have been forced to endure (even though the overall addition of his skills are obviously a positive).
Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson spoke about the change, as outlined in an article written by Fred Katz of The Athletic. “Even in the half court, a couple times, guys just were not used to him,” Atkinson said. “He doesn’t take a lot of motion. He’s not a windup kind of kick-ahead (passer). He’s so strong and sees it early.”
Cleveland is learning how to play with faster passes.
How has Lonzo Ball changed the Cavs?
In the end, Ball’s incredible passing is a net positive. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are very capable playmakers. Garland is probably one of the better playmakers around the league. But the way Ball sees the floor and gets his passes off is extremely unique.
Garland has only played in three games this season. He missed the start of the year with an injury, and Ball took on some of the absent playmaking duties that were left in his wake.
With that, a massive change ensued, perfectly showing how Ball’s quick decision-making and impressive passing have changed the Cavs’ offense.
“In 2024-25, they averaged 6.1 seconds to get into their first actions of a possession, 17th in the NBA,” Katz wrote. “This season, they’re down to 5.6, fourth in the league. They’re encroaching on 50 long-range attempts a game, a six-shot increase. And that’s all while missing the orchestrator of their offense, Garland, for most of the season because of the toe injury.”
Ball’s presence in the Cavaliers’ lineup has led to them altering the way they play basketball. They’re running faster, getting into plays faster, and getting the ball in their hands in the best possible spots faster. All because of Ball.
Cleveland traded for Ball this summer, shipping Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls in a straight-up swap. His addition to the lineup helped make up for them losing Ty Jerome to the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency.
And though Ball hasn’t been able to replace the three-point shooting and scoring talent that Jerome brought off the bench, his passing has made a huge impact on the way the Cavs have been playing this year.