Donovan Mitchell says Lonzo Ball’s basketball IQ is ‘LeBron-esq’

In the wake of Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor assertion that Cleveland Cavaliers floor general Lonzo Ball turned heads with how he played during the team’s training camp stint, guard Donovan Mitchell had incredibly high praise for the former No. 2 overall pick’s basketball IQ.

The Cavaliers’ leading scorer from last season said that Ball’s basketball IQ is comparable to that of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. James, who formerly played for the Cavaliers, is in the G.O.A.T. conversation with four rings, 21 All-NBA selections and four MVP awards.

“I don’t want to call [his IQ] LeBron, but I’d say LeBron-esq from a cerebral standpoint, which I think we need,” Mitchell said. “It’s a mature mindset. Understanding the game at a high level and being able to make adjustments on the fly.”

Like James, Ball has a unique knack for setting up his teammates for scoring opportunities. Out of the six seasons he’s suited up in the NBA, he’s averaged five-plus assists per contest in all but one. Not only that, but he’s dished out as many as 7.2 per game in a campaign, and the Cavaliers are hoping he will be able to pick up the playmaking slack in guard Darius Garland’s absence. Garland is set to miss some time to begin the new season.

However, the similarities between James and Ball from an IQ standpoint arguably start and end with their vision. If their respective games were more similar, odds are that Ball would be far better at putting the ball through the bottom of the net.

The former top prospect has averaged just 11.4 points per game while shooting 39.8 percent from the field for his pro career thus far. He scored a career-low 7.6 points per contest with the Chicago Bulls last season, though rust probably played a part in his subpar scoring campaign. Ball didn’t play so much as a single game in either the 2022-23 campaign or 2023-24 season.

But the Cavaliers ultimately don’t need Ball to score at a high level with all of the strong scorers they have on their roster. As long as he proves to be a productive playmaker and solid defender at the point guard spot, his acquisition will age very well for Cleveland. Cleveland acquired him in a trade with the Bulls during the offseason.