The Lakers selected Lonzo Ball second overall to be the new face of the franchise. This summer has shown that the rookie can become the center of media attention in the drop of a dime. Yet it’s the dimes Ball drops on the court that the Lakers are giddy over. Particularly one dime above the rest: the hit-ahead pass.
The hit-ahead pass (also referred to as an “advance pass” or “throw ahead”) is when a player from the backcourt throws the ball down the floor to an open teammate. It is different from an outlet pass because the hit-ahead pass is done for one reason only — to score. Most outlet passes are done to transition into a fast break or to help the offensive team break out of a trap or pressure.
The hit-ahead pass is an entire offense on its own.
Every time Lonzo unleashes one of these beauties, the player he’s throwing the ball to is either open for a layup/3-pointer or in position to attack downhill against a defense that is retreating or not set yet. Both of those are, of course, incredibly high percentage shots.
These passes make the game easier for Ball’s teammates as well. Either they’ll have an open lane to attack (or jumper to take) or they will have defenders hurriedly closing out in an attempt to take away an open look. Simplifying those decisions helps to ensure that a team plays better offensively.
A lot of talk since Luke Walton was hired as the head coach in Los Angeles has been about how Walton can get the Lakers to play more like the Warriors. We saw them use some of the split cuts, use their big men as facilitators and other basics that make the Warriors offense so good, but their offensive efficiency saw them rank 24th in the NBA last season, according to ESPN.
Adding in a player like Ball to this free-flowing offensive style only helps Los Angeles. Teams will have to coach their players to actively transition back to defense quickly or else they’ll likely allow a layup or open 3-pointer on the other end before they can cross half court.
The fact that Ball has already mastered this as a rookie means that the Lakers have an entirely new section of their playbook they can unleash on opponents. During this summer’s Las Vegas Summer League, you saw Ball’s teammates — especially Kyle Kuzma — realize that they would get the ball quickly and frequently if they got down the floor.
A crazy thing happens when players know they will get the ball if they are open. They tend to get open more frequently. It’s why Ball has been taxed with being the man to reform and rebuild the Lakers into the juggernaut franchise they had been in the past.
This one simple act of giving the ball up early to open players will help the culture and camaraderie on this team increase instantaneously. It’s also contagious. When the best players are willing to make the right basketball play and the unselfish pass, it naturally filters down to every player on the roster.
Next: Highly Plausible Win Projections for the 2017-18 NBA season
Los Angeles isn’t likely to see their win totals spike from 26 a season ago to the mid 40s, which is what they’ll need to even challenge for a potential playoff spot next season. But what they will see is a spike in attention, a spike in attendance and a spike in allure. That’s what Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka want out of this team, and Ball’s hit-ahead pass is the key to making sure the new executives get what they want.
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