Lonzo Ball - What's your opinion of him?

[Esq-4]

Maybe they are just young, like the Knicks, but what's the deal with NO? Zion, Ingram, and Ball (assuming we all say he's good enough we'd want). Wouldn't you expect them to be better, at least in the standings?

(In fairness, I think it's an off year for everyone and standings are not what you'd expect for many teams)

[moocow007]

Maybe they are just young, like the Knicks, but what's the deal with NO? Zion, Ingram, and Ball (assuming we all say he's good enough we'd want). Wouldn't you expect them to be better, at least in the standings?

(In fairness, I think it's an off year for everyone and standings are not what you'd expect for many teams)

Chemistry not there. My guess the personalities have not jived.

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[NoDopeOnSundays]

Maybe they are just young, like the Knicks, but what's the deal with NO? Zion, Ingram, and Ball (assuming we all say he's good enough we'd want). Wouldn't you expect them to be better, at least in the standings?

(In fairness, I think it's an off year for everyone and standings are not what you'd expect for many teams)

They're terrible defensively, a large part is cause Zion can't guard anyone, but national media doesn't say a word about it.

[WargamesX]

You ready to play Lonzo $15-18M/yr?

Dante Exum got $11 million per, so yeah.

Then the smart play is to trade for him

Not really, if they trade for him it’s still going to cost them 15-18 to keep him. There is a marker for him besides the Knicks.

[HarthorneWingo]

Per 100 possessions this season, Frank is better than Lonzo.

https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=balllo01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=ntilila01&p2yrfrom=2021

[WargamesX]

Lonzo is not a game changer but a piece of the puzzle.

We should still maximize this years draft, AND try to get a elite FA in 2022.

[GONYK]

Dante Exum got $11 million per, so yeah.

Then the smart play is to trade for him

Not really, if they trade for him it’s still going to cost them 15-18 to keep him. There is a marker for him besides the Knicks.

It's not to save money. You get his Bird Rights and an inside track by getting him in the building earlier. You essentially prevent him from hitting the market.

[moocow007]

Then the smart play is to trade for him

Not really, if they trade for him it’s still going to cost them 15-18 to keep him. There is a marker for him besides the Knicks.

It's not to save money. You get his Bird Rights and an inside track by getting him in the building earlier. You essentially prevent him from hitting the market.

Yeah that's the thing. It's more than just the player. If trading for him allows for a benefit to help build on top then absolutely.

[Clyde_Style]

You ready to play Lonzo $15-18M/yr?

If he is the starting PG for four years that puts you into contention, then yes.

I think he would be a good choice to play under Thibs as he has the size and ability to be a solid part of our defense.

He would facilitate RJ and Randle well while providing some scoring.

He's plenty big, so if RJ can handle the SF position you could run with

Ball
IQ
RJ
Randle
Mitch

That should a top defensive line-up with decent scoring punch.

He might be one of the best PGs to complement our existing talent.

If you do not believe Randle is our # 1, then it is going to be hard to answer, because you're going to have to plan on how to pay Randle and then Mitch and then RJ in subsequent years.

If our FO believes they need an even better # 1 than Randle, I can see them signing someone like Ball regardless and then pulling off a bigger deal later for a star who wants to come here. That could end up moving a player or two off the roster, including RJ and Randle.

[bearadonisdna]

hey k-dot
15 PER tells me all i need to know about lonzo ball.

[bearadonisdna]

for 1 year id rather take 35 yr old kyle lowry

[BugginOut]

Maybe they are just young, like the Knicks, but what's the deal with NO? Zion, Ingram, and Ball (assuming we all say he's good enough we'd want). Wouldn't you expect them to be better, at least in the standings?

(In fairness, I think it's an off year for everyone and standings are not what you'd expect for many teams)

This is my thought. You got all that talent on NO and you still can't win games? Lonzo is not a half court player. Thibs system is completely in the half court. Lonzo would suck here, because he can't drive to create for himself or others. He's like Haliburton, but that's more of a SG role than PG that we need. No need to pay all that money who at best will have mid tier role-player level impact.

[NYKnickerbocker]

I’m not that crazy about him tbh. All he pretty much does is shoot spot up threes. He’s making them but I’ve always seen him as more of a streak shooter. He can barely make FT normally. He’s doing better at them this season but he’s only taken 40 lol, so I can’t really tell if it’s real or fake. 4 years of 50% from the line as a guard is pathetic. I love everything else he brings tho

I wouldn’t be opposed to getting him, just don’t think he’s gunna move the needle significantly. When lonzo has more offensive responsibilities he can have some ugly sequences just like frank.

[spree2kawhi]

Overrated. His is a position that his struggling team wants to upgrade.

If not for the hype, he's likely an inconsistent role player.

[spree2kawhi]

Per 100 possessions this season, Frank is better than Lonzo.

https://stathead.com/basketball/pcm_finder.cgi?request=1&sum=0&player_id1=balllo01&p1yrfrom=2021&player_id2=ntilila01&p2yrfrom=2021

Stats aside, I literally I think that's the case.

[Montmorencie]

He fits the profile of the Knicks so well which is why we don't need him. Tall, strong, plays defense, involving teammates... good. Zero aggression, can't create his own shot, no signs of mamba mentality... bad. He'll be a good fit but it will not bring anything to the team. We'll improve on a position but we will not improve as a team. We need Beal/Lavine type of player.

[thebuzzardman]

I personally think we should go after him this summer, not just because I like his game, but also because of what it would mean for Quickley. I think it's pretty apparent that IQ is not a PG and our coaches have absolutely no intention of developing him as one anyway, so the pathway for him to start gets a little cloudy. You can't have a smaller PG with him, he's got great size for the 1 defensively with his 6'8" wingspan, but he's on the small side of things if he has to defend 2s. That is why I think Lonzo would be an excellent pickup, because he's the right type of backcourt player to pair up with IQ, he's a ball mover that can guard the 1 or 2 and will allow Quickley to be the score first guy and defend mostly 1s. If we can't find a big pg, wing or can't develop RJ into a good playmaker it will be hard to play Quickley as a starter in the future. You need someone to offset his scoring mentality, someone that can and will move the ball and lets him be the 2 on offense, sort of how his brother allows Rozier to look to score. This is a creative way to replace Payton and Bullock, with better playmaking, shooting and scoring.

I also like how Lonzo fits with RJ and Randle ( ) because he can operate on the ball or off, and if he continues to shoot the way he has for the last 20 games you get a multi-purpose offensive player. The cons are that he's not a great isolation player, but if you have IQ, RJ and Randle out there you don't need yet another guy who needs to always be on the ball. Also, he was on fire from three last season until the bubble where his shooting went into a crater and lasted about 10 games into this season as well, so how real is the shot?

I am against trading for him if it's not for the bare minimum, with the Pelicans being a small market team we could definitely make their lives miserable in trying to match for him. But, I guess we'll see if they can move Eric Bledsoe, that will tell us if they plan on putting up a fight to keep Lonzo.

I really like Lonzo.

He neither drives the ball to the rim enough nor scores enough there to satisfy Thibs' ball dominant, scoring PG jones.

Everything you describe is totally accurate. If Thibs wasn't the coach.

Knicks just need to throw the asset bag at a guard like Booker or LaVine or DMitchell, scoring guards with a generous helping of "PG" in their game, and let that guy dominate the ball and 1/3 of the scoring, with Randle taking the other 1/3 and the rest of whoever taking the last 1/3

Obviously easier said than done.

What MIGHT be possible, until DRose retires, is that Lonzo takes Bullocks Role and spot in the starting lineup, as 3&D guy, but will with elite passing.

[Signature NYK]

Get Lonzo
Get Lavine
???
Profit

[WargamesX]

He fits the profile of the Knicks so well which is why we don't need him. Tall, strong, plays defense, involving teammates... good. Zero aggression, can't create his own shot, no signs of mamba mentality... bad. He'll be a good fit but it will not bring anything to the team. We'll improve on a position but we will not improve as a team. We need Beal/Lavine type of player.

The other argument for him is the Knicks could afford him, and still go after Lavine or Beal and he helps make them more attractive in FA or as a trade piece.

Ball
Lavine
RJ
Randle
Mitch

6th man Quickley
Is better than

Coby
Lavine
Young
MarKennan
Carter

And that is the pitch they should want to be able to make to Zach, come to the Knicks and be a plug and play star. We got a team built around hiding your biggest weakness (defense) and you won’t have to carry the scoring either.

Also if we trade for Lavine, ball is a big enough name (justified or not) that he can be thrown in as well.

[WargamesX]

Get Lonzo
Get Lavine
???
Profit

??? = draft a good SF this year