The 10 most irresponsible 2017 NBA Draft prospect comparisons

6. Lonzo Ball probably isn’t [insert elite all-time Point Guard]

Speaking of point guards drawing unfair comparisons, we have to include the draft’s biggest magnet for hyperbolic comparisons. Because of his profile as a legendary LA-area point guard with seemingly unrivaled court vision, Ball came into the year with a lot of hype and mostly lived up to it. That hype carried over to the draft, where Lonzo has been compared to basically any all-time great point guard you can think of. Name a point guard of the last 25 years who has averaged 10 assists per game, and you’ll probably see his name linked to Ball.

Ball’s vision is fantastic. It might be the best singular attribute in this class. But it’s probably a little premature to call Ball the next Stockton, or Nash, or Kidd. He has real offensive concerns regarding his ability to create separation in the halfcourt, and his funky 3-point shot release. He can make a great number of highlight plays with his passing acumen, but he does still need to grow as a decision-maker, and become more relaxed in pressure situations.

It helps that Ball’s defensive ceiling should be high, and imagining him as a Kidd-level defender at the point of attack isn’t hard. But it’s probably premature to anoint him with these all-time comparisons without considering what his floor is if those weaknesses hold him back. He’s likely to land on the Lakers, so it’s doubtful we’ll see less optimistic projections any time soon — but we need to remember that while he might be the next John Stockton, there’s also a shot he’s the next Mark Jackson or Jason Williams, and that’s okay.