Lonzo Ball: Bust or Baller?

Praise be to Dealin Dunny for stiff-arming Fultz and Gonzo on his way to DREDERICK TATUM
 
Bust, cant shoot and has zero foot speed/first step allowing teams to go under screens and sag into the passing lanes. Its a shame that Lavar has put so much pressure considering his team wont be helping him much because theyre trash.
 
Surprised you're still here Sadmick

Oh and definitely did not read. Lonzo Ball going for ROY, MVP AND FINALS MVP. BOOK IT DANO
 
To speak more seriously, for a moment, I'm not sure if I agree that he is a bust-- at least not a complete bust.

He actually does have promising star potential if Walton and the Lakers will just allow themselves to step outside of their and Lavar Ball's marketing machine, for a moment, to realize that he is never going to be Michael Jordan. He isn't a great scorer, and I don't think I see the foundation for him to ever be that. That jump shot, which is a big part of what concerned me, is one of the biggest reasons-- as a symptom. It speaks to the greater problem that his father presents.

Did you guys follow the story about his younger brother? There was a great USA Today piece on it:
It's official: LaVar Ball is worst sports parent ever
So the last coach this kid at his high school Lavar and the kid didn't like, and they got him fired. The school brought in a new coach. The new coach wasn't a spineless twerp, though, and wasn't having any of this "inmates running the prison" (sorry, couldn't resist, read nothing into it) attitude either. He said, "This 50 shots a game nonsense is going to stop." 50 shots a game? 50 shots a FUCKING game?! In high school??!!! That's like 85% of your shots!

So what does Lavar do? He pulls the kid out of school. Now, I don't see how this makes Lavar the "worst sports dad ever", OMG, the rampant hyperbole in today's journalism. I think it's bad for his sons' athletic careers and potential, but I greatly prefer Scott Brooks' recent take defending Lavar:


There's a much healthier perspective. But the greater problem I see, when I see that shot of Lonzo's, who clearly had an incredible wealth of training resources around him growing up, is someone who refused to learn, and refused to listen. Given, that's not always the case, because Shaq spent a million hours with the greatest shooting coaches, and it didn't matter, while guys like Shawn Marion mostly made unorthodoxy work throughout their careers, because no single way is the right way for everybody, but generally, when I see those kinds of mechanics, I see someone who either wasn't willing, or didn't have the discipline, to seriously take instruction.

Now Luke is benching the kid (and the rest of the starters) in a tight, winnable game in the fourth quarter simply to prove a point: he is the coach. He is the authority. What do you think the chatter has been in practice-- the tone of the team dynamic behind closed doors-- for him to be doing that this early in the season?

It's telling.

Lonzo is a great rebounding point guard who has the long, tall frame to harness his fantastic court vision in a way that big bodies like only Magic Johnson could do. I'm talking about his little windmill-like lateral scoop passes over his head, across the shoulder, just over the top of a defender between him and the guy he is dumping to on the other side of the key, as they approach the basket in parallel in a 2v1 situation. It's fantastic. It really does remind me of Magic. Furthermore, John Stockton couldn't make that pass even though he was one of the few who could see it. He simply wasn't tall enough. He also didn't present the same threat going at a contested hoop that someone will Lonzo's athleticism and height does.

Assist to turnover ratio is pretty poor, right now, but that's par for the course with rookies. Production is very good. What he needs to stop doing is trying to be the league's leading scorer, but there isn't a hint of that attitude. No, instead we get the Vladimir Radmanovic response:



Uggghh. What's worse, while even Magic was never trying to score like this, the league is far, far, far less hospitable to this type of scoring than it was when Magic played. The Moneyball 3PT game shattered that. The playoffs is never going to forgive this type of scorer with guys like Curry and Durant around. You simply can't have that great a volume of your points coming from that inefficient a scorer.

He needs to find a great, efficient scorer; maybe someone who isn't terribly great at a lot of other things, but can be his finisher. It's possible that Lonzo could still be the "alpha male" of the team, so to speak, like Magic, averaging well under 20ppg. Maybe not. Maybe he will have to accept being the #2 if he wants to be part of a dynasty. In any case, he'll never be Michael Jordan: a shadow he couldn't possibly fill.

What a tragedy, amirite?


Oh yeah, before I forget.
giphy.webp


Lavar's not any different than the asshole parents I see at youth sports every week. It just happens his oldest son is an excellent player. Maybe not annual All-Star great, but he's a good player.

Lavar is the kind of fuckstick that yells at the volunteer coaches and referees. Making an ass of himself in the stands.

I'm involved in the youth football league down here.... Kind of. My girls are into Drill and Cheerleading. No boys for me... boo hoo... lol.

Anyway, I'm almost glad I don't have any. Some of these fucking parents are retarded. You see all these dumbass dads who played maybe into High School, even a little College... maybe. They're the worst, because they couldn't make it. Fucking Uncle Ricos... all of them.

One of the coaches is a Former U of H QB. And the guy is amazing. He's great with the kids, the parents, the other team's coaches, whatever. He's not putting pressure on his kid... none of that BS. It's crazy how humble he is. Played softball with him a few times. Effortless talent.

Lonzo really needs to step up and tell his dad to back off. He seems like a really great kid and a team player in a league filled with MeFirst stars. If it wasn't for his dad, fans around the nation would be embracing him because people like seeing humble players with talent who make his team better with unselfish play. Instead, there's a huge contingency of fans who want to see him fail because of his asshole dad.

Also, daddy Lavar is going to have a coronary when the two younger sons flame out in the NBA, if they even get drafted. Lavar will be blaming everyone....
 
can imagine the pain in the ass it is to be an NBA coach

trying to discipline a bunch of entitled millionaires lol
 
Also, daddy Lavar is going to have a coronary when the two younger sons flame out in the NBA, if they even get drafted. Lavar will be blaming everyone....

wont lavar just make the lakers draft his other sons?
 
The youngest kid has a shot at the NBA, the one currently at UCLA has no shot in hell.
 
So far it appears he can't shoot to save his life. He reminds me of a Rajon Rondo, Ricky Rubio type player without the defense. He's just a rookie so he's got time to get better. His Dad ain't helping though.
 
The youngest kid has a shot at the NBA, the one currently at UCLA has no shot in hell.

His dad is ruining him. Letting him think it's ok to shoot 40-50 times a game.

Then yanking him from school when the coach has the audacity to try to teach him the game.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lavar keeps him out of college and has him play somewhere else instead. He's that dumb.
 
To speak more seriously, for a moment, I'm not sure if I agree that he is a bust-- at least not a complete bust.

He actually does have promising star potential if Walton and the Lakers will just allow themselves to step outside of their and Lavar Ball's marketing machine, for a moment, to realize that he is never going to be Michael Jordan. He isn't a great scorer, and I don't think I see the foundation for him to ever be that. That jump shot, which is a big part of what concerned me, is one of the biggest reasons-- as a symptom. It speaks to the greater problem that his father presents.

Did you guys follow the story about his younger brother? There was a great USA Today piece on it:
It's official: LaVar Ball is worst sports parent ever
So the last coach this kid at his high school Lavar and the kid didn't like, and they got him fired. The school brought in a new coach. The new coach wasn't a spineless twerp, though, and wasn't having any of this "inmates running the prison" (sorry, couldn't resist, read nothing into it) attitude either. He said, "This 50 shots a game nonsense is going to stop." 50 shots a game? 50 shots a FUCKING game?! In high school??!!! That's like 85% of your shots!

So what does Lavar do? He pulls the kid out of school. Now, I don't see how this makes Lavar the "worst sports dad ever", OMG, the rampant hyperbole in today's journalism. I think it's bad for his sons' athletic careers and potential, but I greatly prefer Scott Brooks' recent take defending Lavar:


There's a much healthier perspective. But the greater problem I see, when I see that shot of Lonzo's, who clearly had an incredible wealth of training resources around him growing up, is someone who refused to learn, and refused to listen. Given, that's not always the case, because Shaq spent a million hours with the greatest shooting coaches, and it didn't matter, while guys like Shawn Marion mostly made unorthodoxy work throughout their careers, because no single way is the right way for everybody, but generally, when I see those kinds of mechanics, I see someone who either wasn't willing, or didn't have the discipline, to seriously take instruction.

Now Luke is benching the kid (and the rest of the starters) in a tight, winnable game in the fourth quarter simply to prove a point: he is the coach. He is the authority. What do you think the chatter has been in practice-- the tone of the team dynamic behind closed doors-- for him to be doing that this early in the season?

It's telling.

Lonzo is a great rebounding point guard who has the long, tall frame to harness his fantastic court vision in a way that big bodies like only Magic Johnson could do. I'm talking about his little windmill-like lateral scoop passes over his head, across the shoulder, just over the top of a defender between him and the guy he is dumping to on the other side of the key, as they approach the basket in parallel in a 2v1 situation. It's fantastic. It really does remind me of Magic. Furthermore, John Stockton couldn't make that pass even though he was one of the few who could see it. He simply wasn't tall enough. He also didn't present the same threat going at a contested hoop that someone will Lonzo's athleticism and height does.

Assist to turnover ratio is pretty poor, right now, but that's par for the course with rookies. Production is very good. What he needs to stop doing is trying to be the league's leading scorer, but there isn't a hint of that attitude. No, instead we get the Vladimir Radmanovic response:



Uggghh. What's worse, while even Magic was never trying to score like this, the league is far, far, far less hospitable to this type of scoring than it was when Magic played. The Moneyball 3PT game shattered that. The playoffs is never going to forgive this type of scorer with guys like Curry and Durant around. You simply can't have that great a volume of your points coming from that inefficient a scorer.

He needs to find a great, efficient scorer; maybe someone who isn't terribly great at a lot of other things, but can be his finisher. It's possible that Lonzo could still be the "alpha male" of the team, so to speak, like Magic, averaging well under 20ppg. Maybe not. Maybe he will have to accept being the #2 if he wants to be part of a dynasty. In any case, he'll never be Michael Jordan: a shadow he couldn't possibly fill.

What a tragedy, amirite?


Oh yeah, before I forget.
giphy.webp

No one's reading all this, shut the hell up
 
Can't be a bust as an elite passing PG. At worst, if his other areas don't improve much, he'll play 10+ years in the league as a good playmaker.

But if you come into the NBA as an elite passer it's literally the only skill where you can't be a bust. Other areas like shooting, defense, driving and even rebounding against bigger bodies are harder to transition from college.
 
Can't be a bust as an elite passing PG. At worst, if his other areas don't improve much, he'll play 10+ years in the league as a good playmaker.

But if you come into the NBA as an elite passer it's literally the only skill where you can't be a bust. Other areas like shooting, defense, driving and even rebounding against bigger bodies are harder to transition from college.

20130716MarshallMug_MarkJRebilasUSAT.jpg
 
He's going to be good but that 31 percent shooting is rough so far.
 
with all the talk about lavar being a terrible father and ruining his sons here's someone who has another take.

 
with all the talk about lavar being a terrible father and ruining his sons here's someone who has another take.


Guess it's better than Kobe's dad who only spent his time crying about Kobe's playing time when he was a rookie.
 
No one's reading all this, shut the hell up
I'm sorry, I can't hear posters who have been BTFO.

I only do high-rent analysis. Free rent in your mind.
with all the talk about lavar being a terrible father and ruining his sons here's someone who has another take.


So what does Lavar do? He pulls the kid out of school. Now, I don't see how this makes Lavar the "worst sports dad ever", OMG, the rampant hyperbole in today's journalism. I think it's bad for his sons' athletic careers and potential, but I greatly prefer Scott Brooks' recent take defending Lavar:


There's a much healthier perspective. But the greater problem I see, when I see that shot of Lonzo's, who clearly had an incredible wealth of training resources around him growing up, is someone who refused to learn, and refused to listen. Given, that's not always the case, because Shaq spent a million hours with the greatest shooting coaches, and it didn't matter, while guys like Shawn Marion mostly made unorthodoxy work throughout their careers, because no single way is the right way for everybody, but generally, when I see those kinds of mechanics, I see someone who either wasn't willing, or didn't have the discipline, to seriously take instruction.

<{hfved}>
All the heart and sweat I put into that post.

You cut me, Rev. You cut me deep.
 
not in the same league. when Milos comes back he's in the same category, even though he's a decade older.

Kendall was 2nd in the league in assists per game one season.
 
He took 2 shots in 28 minutes. Bench him and put Clarkson in as starter. This kid is scared
 
Gonzo put up some Tristan Thompson like numbers last night. Might just be the worst basketball players I've ever seen
 
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