Ball sees Bulls having speed advantage over most NBA teams
Lonzo Ball made it clear he's all about pushing the tempo with the Bulls this season.
They had a low-scoring game in Detroit for the season opener, but erupted for 128 points against New Orleans on Friday.
"The energy has a big thing to do with it, then us being undersized," Ball said. "We know we're a lot faster than most teams in the NBA. So when we can get it, get out on the break."
Coach Billy Donovan appears to be on the same page.
"I think when we play faster, it helps us, because we've got handlers and passers," he said. "We have really good passing guys and unselfish guys."
A big part of being able to play fast is playing solid defense and creating turnovers. So part of the Bulls' plan is for Ball and Alex Caruso to be disruptive on the perimeter and create deflections.
"Him and AC are everywhere," Zach LaVine said. "Brings a real energy and physicality to the defensive end."
LaVine went further in complementing Ball, knocking people who tagged Ball as a poor shooter early in his pro career.
"Players know who the real ballers are," LaVine said. "It's always about what you can do, not what you can't. He affects the game in so many ways and it trumps the things that he's not good at.
"He works as the things he's not good at. He stays after practice late and does everything. One of the hardest-working guys on the team and he shows how good of a player he is by affecting each part of his game."
NU grad a first-rounder:
The Windy City Bulls selected former Northwestern star Scottie Lindsey in Saturday's G-League draft. The 6-foot-5 Lindsey, who attended Fenwick High School in Oak Park, was one of the top scorer's on NU's first NCAA Tournament team in 2017. Since leaving Northwestern in 2018, Lindsey has played in the G-League for Grand Rapids and Erie, and last year in Portugal.
Windy City also chose 6-7 forward Tim Bond and 6-4 guard Kerwin Roach.
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