So much for being a Lakers fan..
- Thread starter Louis_Skunt
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They would have to be good to hated. Ball will disappear into the abyss.
It was a real catch-22 for the Lakers. If they didn't draft Ball and then he turns out to be great, they would have been ridiculed. Ball remember is a sort of LA legacy and so it would have been tough to pass up what has been pressured and expected for months. On the other hand, all the baggage may make him a very unpopular player and even over-rated. I hope he is a big failure because of the behaviors of both father and son. I still don't like how he did that finger shushing the crowd at Rupp.
Ball is a bust waiting to happen unless they are able to get PG and/or LeBron. If that happens then Ball will get more credit than he deserves because those guys will instantly make LA a contender and win in spite of his deficiencies.
Suns just got rid of two KU. head cases, and now...
living in phx and loving basketball; I want to root for the Suns... but the moves they make (don't make) i just cheer for the UK guys.
Side note:The suns are really pushing for me to take season tickets. The rep just sent me phoenix suns pint glasses, a suns portfolio, Starbucks gift card and UK CUFFLINKS.
It's kind of fun… I've never been the pretty girl
living in phx and loving basketball; I want to root for the Suns... but the moves they make (don't make) i just cheer for the UK guys.
Side note:The suns are really pushing for me to take season tickets. The rep just sent me phoenix suns pint glasses, a suns portfolio, Starbucks gift card and UK CUFFLINKS.
It's kind of fun… I've never been the pretty girl
They already are historically. They are just so bad of late people don't think of them and focus on the Warriors and Lebron as most hated teams.
I just can't root for Ball because of his dad. I've never seen anyone that get's on my nerves more than him. It was supposed to be his sons big moment and after he got drafted the dad is hogging the microphone and interview saying He will take the Lakers to the playoffs first year. He is a idiot.
Nothing wrong with Lonzo Ball.
His dad is another story. His dad, will however, become less prominent, because people will lose interest in what he has to say.
Both interviews he gave last night on espn were hard to comprehend, sounded stupid, and added no value.
The novelty has worn off.
His dad is another story. His dad, will however, become less prominent, because people will lose interest in what he has to say.
Both interviews he gave last night on espn were hard to comprehend, sounded stupid, and added no value.
The novelty has worn off.
Just me, but my prediction is in 3 years Ball will be not much better than an average player at best. I just don't see the skills to be a so called franchise player.
Who knows if Lonzo's game will translate to the NBA. Will have to see him play first, of course.
But I have to admit that I would be surprised if he winds up being anything but serviceable. Watching Fox so easily and consistently cross him up just made him look like he wasn't athletic enough to play at a high point guard level in the NBA. What will happen when he tries to guard Westbrook, Paul, Wall, etc.?
Still, I will give him credit for this: He really sees the floor well. If he can stay on the floor, he'll average 10 assists. But he'll be a defensive liability. And not much of a scoring threat.
But I have to admit that I would be surprised if he winds up being anything but serviceable. Watching Fox so easily and consistently cross him up just made him look like he wasn't athletic enough to play at a high point guard level in the NBA. What will happen when he tries to guard Westbrook, Paul, Wall, etc.?
Still, I will give him credit for this: He really sees the floor well. If he can stay on the floor, he'll average 10 assists. But he'll be a defensive liability. And not much of a scoring threat.
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You can't pass on Ball if you're Magic.
Hometown kid, helped a 16 win UCLA rise to one of the best teams in the country, wants to play for lakers, by all accounts is a really good dude and hard worker, etc...
Magic is fine if Ball flames out. However, he wouldn't be fine if he chose Fultz, Jackson, or anyone else and they busted but Lonzo ended up being even just a decent role/rotation player for another team.
LA couldn't risk Lonzo going to Boston who has a really good front office, coach, and team. Just imagine that if you're the Lakers, Ball balling out for celtics. Also would sting having to watch Ball flourish in Sac Town or Phoenix and have to play him all the time.
Hometown kid, helped a 16 win UCLA rise to one of the best teams in the country, wants to play for lakers, by all accounts is a really good dude and hard worker, etc...
Magic is fine if Ball flames out. However, he wouldn't be fine if he chose Fultz, Jackson, or anyone else and they busted but Lonzo ended up being even just a decent role/rotation player for another team.
LA couldn't risk Lonzo going to Boston who has a really good front office, coach, and team. Just imagine that if you're the Lakers, Ball balling out for celtics. Also would sting having to watch Ball flourish in Sac Town or Phoenix and have to play him all the time.
Ball was a special college player. Watching him and reading his stats, you can tell that he will be a floor general in the league. His shot has questions, but the kid can run an offense and make people around him better.
To be honest, if he has a better coach than Alford..who knows what his ceiling would have been last season. Just watching him was impressive. I am not one of those people that hates him just because we had a little on court rivalry last year. A lot of UK fans look past his skill because Fox ate his lunch in the tourney and we want our guy to look better. Both can/will probably be great, but Ball is an impressive ball handler and passer and that's hard to pass up.
To be honest, if he has a better coach than Alford..who knows what his ceiling would have been last season. Just watching him was impressive. I am not one of those people that hates him just because we had a little on court rivalry last year. A lot of UK fans look past his skill because Fox ate his lunch in the tourney and we want our guy to look better. Both can/will probably be great, but Ball is an impressive ball handler and passer and that's hard to pass up.
Ball will be good. I think Fox and maybe even Smith will be better. I see Ball after a couple of years being a 14, 5, 10 guy. Whereas I see Fox being a 20, 4, 8 guy, and Smith as a 23, 3, 7 guy.
I'm not sold on Fultz. I don't care how bad his teammates were, 9 wins, 2 conference wins. No, if you are good enough to be the #1 pick AND you have the ball in your hands most of the game you win more than that. There's having winning talent, and then there is "being a winner", and those 2 things aren't the same. I'm not saying Fultz will be a flush like Bennett, but I think he will have a so-so career.
I am curious to see how Walton handles his Daddy.Imo this could be a train wreck because Lamar is going to continue to seek the limelight.It is time to get the popcorn ready
This. Too much is being made of the dad. People saying the whole league is going to take it to the kid because of his Dad? Ehh, I don't know. I'm not sure a ton of players are going to hard foul him because of his Dad. Seems extreme.
Ball is going to get his shit swatted 22 times a night in the league. That low starting point for his shot won't fly and will be his undoing. He will continue this trend of #2 picks not working out.
I can't stand Lavar like any normal human being, but Lonzo seems like a pretty cool dude. And I think he's gonna be a baller in the nba..good get for the lakers imo.
I just want to see that smirk wiped off his dad's face much just like Fox wiped it off.
It is like Wilbon siad previously, quit giving Lavar the stage and he will be quiet. He is only talking to the media when they ask him to do so. During the draft he was sitting at his table with his family. The media went to him.
While I agree with your line of thought, he isn't a complete idiot, he has became a sideshow and is getting lots of air time because people want to see that sort of thing.
Someone needs to tell LaVar about Zoom teeth whitening! Looks like someone sprayed "I Can't Believe Its Not Butter on his teeth"! He just put another bulls-eye on Lonzo's back last night "guaranteeing" that he'd take the Lakers to the playoffs his first season. Kinda like he guaranteed that UCLA was going to win the NCAA championship, lol! I also think Fultz will be a bust.
Great pick up for my lakers. Ball is the only player who is far and away the best at making others better via his passing and setting guys up. He's not the best player but he's the best at what he does which is something that will translate no matter what.
And of course I love the Kuzma pick up since it's not only a friend but a kid I used to help train out here in Utah. Very well deserved
As far as Lavar, you may hate him and he may be a A-hole but he's a great business man and great at marketing. People hate/hated Kris Jenner as well due to her marketing her kardashian kids and she rolled that into a multi million dollar empire. Lavar starting last year more than tripled his BBB company's worth with his big mouth and antics, so you can hate him but what he is doing is clearly working when it comes to profits
And of course I love the Kuzma pick up since it's not only a friend but a kid I used to help train out here in Utah. Very well deserved
As far as Lavar, you may hate him and he may be a A-hole but he's a great business man and great at marketing. People hate/hated Kris Jenner as well due to her marketing her kardashian kids and she rolled that into a multi million dollar empire. Lavar starting last year more than tripled his BBB company's worth with his big mouth and antics, so you can hate him but what he is doing is clearly working when it comes to profits
I'll take the under, but his shot mechanics might need adjusting.
Interesting point on #2 draft picks. http://www.mynbadraft.com/nba-draft-picks/2nd-overall/20509/. Mixed bag at best, with a few real clunkers in there (Thabeet, Derrick Williams, Darko, Swift, Bradley, Stipanovich). Some real hits (Gary Payton, Isiah Thomas, Mourning, Kidd, Camby, Aldridge, Durant, even Francis and McDyess). Some okay to good (Smits, Oladipo, maybe MKG, Okafor, Chandler, Bibby, Van Horn, Kenny Anderson, Gilliam, Tisdale, Cummings, maybe Turner), and some that didn't make it due to injuries or other reasons (Len Bias, Bowie, Jay Williams).
If by bust you mean a taller better shooting Rubio at worse then I agree. He will get the credit he deserves with almost no busy potential because his passing his transferable and his shooting. Only people who think he will be a bust are those who just hate on him or his father. If you ask those same people why he will be a bust they will come up with zero evidence and make up something stupid that shows their lack of basketball knowledge
Those same people tend to only watch the team they are fans of and think no one else is as good as players from their team
Those same people tend to only watch the team they are fans of and think no one else is as good as players from their team
As long as Ball does what the Lakers see as valuable, then he is successful. He needs to distribute ball. He is not going there as a scorer, and the Lakers know it.
I watch more basketball than I'm proud of because there are probably more productive things I could do. I also played semi for a year, albeit a very low league. As stated, if they put the pieces around him where you can take advantage of the skillset he has then he can be a solid role player who will get more hype than deserved because of LA and his family. He will never carry a team on his own. If the Lakers drafted him with that vision then he can be "just a solid piece" to a bigger puzzle , then he can fill that need, but imo he isn't a franchise changing player that cant be replaced. Maybe he proves me wrong and that's fine; it doesn't effect my life either way.
When I say "bust", its in relation to they hype that has been built around a player. If a player is drafted late 2nd round and becomes a solid 10 year man then he wasn't a bust by any means. If a guy is being sold as the next MJ or Magic and is supposedly going to transcend the game and ends up being "a taller Rubio" and is just another descent player in the league, then he is a relative bust
As of now unless something changes, the top 10-15 guards in the league will all abuse him on the defensive end and he is going to put his teammates in tough situations on that end of the floor. Believe it or not, there are 2 ends to a basketball court.
Every freshman coming into league has stuff to work on. Ball is no different. He is not a finished product and has not played a single minute and people are labeling him as a "bust". I do not know either way, nobody does, even Lavar, but i will say he has a lot higher chance of not being. If Fox does not improve his shooting, his speed is useless. Monk if he does not get stronger and play defense, he will just be a stationary shooter, far from superstar.
But luckily the NBA has PROS to help these kids, they do not read message boards of players rivals and judge them. Shew,,, good thing, lot of these kids would be unemployed.
But luckily the NBA has PROS to help these kids, they do not read message boards of players rivals and judge them. Shew,,, good thing, lot of these kids would be unemployed.
I muted the sound last night during the draft, when they even mentioned Lonzo Ball and his maniac father. When Jeff Goodman TRIED to interview him I muted the sound and left the room. Alison Williams who was doing the player interviews, ask T J Leaf what kind of teammate Ball was at UCLA. I sat there and said, "WTF kind of question is that." I am thinking Ball had his moment and this is Leaf's moment. You can bet the NBA will make sure that the Lakers are on TV more this season and each time, the will give Lavar air time. The SOB should be home taking care of his wife instead of riding on the coat tails of his son. By the way, is that a birds nest on the head of the younger Ball?
Sorry, I was in a hurry earlier and I didn't finish my thought: "The Lakers lost me when they tried to trade Randle after all the physical time Randle put in to change his body. I think I read he's down to 8% body fat."
Paul George to the Lakers was going to happen anyway. Just thought committing to more than 2 players would have made more sense. I too like the kid from Utah.
Paul George to the Lakers was going to happen anyway. Just thought committing to more than 2 players would have made more sense. I too like the kid from Utah.
It's very odd watching the love affair with Ball and Fultz. I will 2nd Jonathan W on Fultz. If he was even half the player he is hyped to be he would have won more than 9 games. How can you feel comfortable drafting a guy #1 when the last man who put his faith in the kid to run point for him was fired for it?
Fultz and Ball have talent, but they are not winners. Ball is closer but he shrunk in the spotlight. He thrived during a regular season in a half empty arena in a conference nobody watched. When it mattered he was shook. Every shot came up way short, he was eaten alive by Fox.
Fultz on the other hand is a loser. Ball will be a solid NBA starter, Fultz will be a total bust. A college PG with real NBA ability should be able to take a team to 20+ wins basically by himself. It wasnt as if he came to the worst team in the country talent wise, they werent good but adding a #1 overall caliber PH should have got them into the tourney. Instead it was such a dumpster fire that UW said "Yes you have several highly regarded recruits coming in but Fultz was supposed to be great and look how that went". Romar had many great recruits and some mediocre classes but none as bad as this last year with the so called star.
Save this post. In 3 years people will be truly baffled at how Fox went behind either of these kids much less both.
The Lakers drafted Ball out of fear. Not because he was the best player but because they knew when he didn't pan out they wouldn't be blamed but if they did what they knew was right, their player wasn't a flat out super star and Ball came even close to hype they would be blasted for it.
Marketing and fear controlled the Lakers pick. How pathetic is that. This truly marks the moment that the Lakers became a sub standard franchise.
Fultz and Ball have talent, but they are not winners. Ball is closer but he shrunk in the spotlight. He thrived during a regular season in a half empty arena in a conference nobody watched. When it mattered he was shook. Every shot came up way short, he was eaten alive by Fox.
Fultz on the other hand is a loser. Ball will be a solid NBA starter, Fultz will be a total bust. A college PG with real NBA ability should be able to take a team to 20+ wins basically by himself. It wasnt as if he came to the worst team in the country talent wise, they werent good but adding a #1 overall caliber PH should have got them into the tourney. Instead it was such a dumpster fire that UW said "Yes you have several highly regarded recruits coming in but Fultz was supposed to be great and look how that went". Romar had many great recruits and some mediocre classes but none as bad as this last year with the so called star.
Save this post. In 3 years people will be truly baffled at how Fox went behind either of these kids much less both.
The Lakers drafted Ball out of fear. Not because he was the best player but because they knew when he didn't pan out they wouldn't be blamed but if they did what they knew was right, their player wasn't a flat out super star and Ball came even close to hype they would be blasted for it.
Marketing and fear controlled the Lakers pick. How pathetic is that. This truly marks the moment that the Lakers became a sub standard franchise.
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