Lonzo Ball

[PLO]

The Marc Whittington articles on Ball are outstanding; clarified for me specifically what I don't like about him as a top prospect. Before I could give you some generalisations about his play that really irked me in terms of projection to the NBA, but Whittington breaks Ball's game down into clear analytical specifics - they're quality pieces of analysis. Kudos to him. (and no, I'm not Whittington nor do I know him!) They're up on libertyballers.com

[cksdayoff]

ucla's offense did a good job of masking what i percieve to be lonzo's deficiencies. just like a lot of comments from writers who say fultz has a lightning quick first step/extremely athletic which leave me scratching my head. a lot of writers saying lonzo has elite passing skills makes me scratch my head as well.

[ItsThatEasy]

Is it possible that teams pass on him because of his dad?I like Lonzo as a player but thinking about Lavar sticked to my favourite team makes me sick. Any team that will draft Lonzo takes risk of becoming a laughing-stock of the NBA.

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

[azcatz11]

Is it possible that teams pass on him because of his dad?I like Lonzo as a player but thinking about Lavar sticked to my favourite team makes me sick. Any team that will draft Lonzo takes risk of becoming a laughing-stock of the NBA.

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

[TyCobb]

Is it possible that teams pass on him because of his dad?I like Lonzo as a player but thinking about Lavar sticked to my favourite team makes me sick. Any team that will draft Lonzo takes risk of becoming a laughing-stock of the NBA.

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

So false. Ball had UCLA with an average 14.5 second per possession, both years for Kyle he was running them at 15.8.

[Duke4life831]

Is it possible that teams pass on him because of his dad?I like Lonzo as a player but thinking about Lavar sticked to my favourite team makes me sick. Any team that will draft Lonzo takes risk of becoming a laughing-stock of the NBA.

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

Lonzo is slow now? You just didnt call him slow but you compared him to one of the slower prospects in some time that has a nickname Slo Mo. Ball is a pretty fast player (especiall in the open court) and he runs a fast paced offense. Does he have a lightening quick first step? No. But that doesnt make him Kyle Anderson 2.0 when it comes to his speed and quickness.

[jpengland]

Is it possible that teams pass on him because of his dad?I like Lonzo as a player but thinking about Lavar sticked to my favourite team makes me sick. Any team that will draft Lonzo takes risk of becoming a laughing-stock of the NBA.

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

Smart teams most certainly do not just draft on talent.

You absolutely have to take into account barriers to that talent being fulfilled. And the circus and overbearing influence of LaVar is most certainly a barrier. It's also potentially disruptive to a young team.

He's only going to get more exposure and more chance to damage the higher profile Lonzo becomes.

You really think LaVar isn't going to be on ESPN ranting about Simmons or Ingram missing a game winner that 'should' have been taken by Lonzo??

[ItsThatEasy]

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

Smart teams most certainly do not just draft on talent.

You absolutely have to take into account barriers to that talent being fulfilled. And the circus and overbearing influence of LaVar is most certainly a barrier. It's also potentially disruptive to a young team.

He's only going to get more exposure and more chance to damage the higher profile Lonzo becomes.

You really think LaVar isn't going to be on ESPN ranting about Simmons or Ingram missing a game winner that 'should' have been taken by Lonzo??

Lol you think family members of NBA players don't already rant to people? LaVar being on ESPN means nothing to the team that drafts Lonzo.

And you know why? Because Lonzo has shown absolutely NO trace of letting LaVar affect him. There's been no character concerns about Lonzo, his teammates like him, he's a hard worker and he follows his coaches orders. LaVar's presence means absolutely NOTHING if it doesn't have an influence on the guy actually out there on the court.

[ItsThatEasy]

The idea that a team should be cautious of a kid with great character because his dad is a nut job is hilarious lol

[AshyLarrysDiaper]

If I'm Ainge I don't care about Lavar Ball. I have job security and a strong organization behind me. We'll figure out how to handle him.

If I'm Magic I don't care about Lavar Ball. I'm freaking Magic Johnson. A loudmouth from Chino Hills isn't scaring me out of a pick.

If I'm Bryan Colangelo ... I care about Lavar Ball. My team has no culture, the fanbase dislikes me. An air war with that a-hole could very well hurt me. It's not enough to back me off Lonzo if he's the clear cut best pick on the board, but if I'm picking 2nd and consider Jackson a roughly equivalent prospect, I think long and hard about taking on Reggie Rose 2.0 for the next 8 years.

[Midnight_Suns]

I don't see how anyone can suggest that Lavar will not cause issues within Lonzo's drafting team. He might not affect the way his son plays but you are kidding yourself if you think his teammate's will be cool with Lavar talking **** about them every time the team struggles. He is all but guaranteed to cause tension between his son and teammates. I do not want that circus anywhere near the Suns organization.

Also, just because Lavar's antics didn't cause much turmoil during Lonzo's stint at UCLA has no bearing on how they will at the next level. No one on UCLA's squad was going to publicly speak out against their best player's family member, as much as Lavar deserved it after his "too many white players" comments. NBA level ego's are not gonna respond the same way to that type of bs, especially in situations where Lonzo plays badly like he did vs. Kentucky. They lost that game because Fox torched Lonzo and his sociopath of a father blamed the white kids. I pray he ends up on the Lakers.

[GimmeDat]

The idea that a team should be cautious of a kid with great character because his dad is a nut job is hilarious lol

I don't think it's necessarily having to do with questioning the kid at all, it's about having to deal with the BS.

I loved Derrick Rose but he often deferred to/consoled his older brother who would cause issues with being outspoken. It can be a real issue.

[bigbreakfast]

i think his dad's antics will certainly be a part of the consideration. maybe not someone like Magic and a team like the Lakers but I think certain for teams/GMs/coaches without the NBA cred and lakers brand it will definitely be more of a consideration. those marc whittington articles were extremely on point, esp regarding his ineffectiveness in being a multiple threat off the PnR as well as inability to break down collegiate guards off the dribble consistently. another thing mentioned was his shooting form and his tendency to get off shots going left, although i don't recall any statistics on his tendencies.

[TKainZero]

My dad, ucla alum, is totally sold on ball

He doesn't care about the shot release at all. Like at all. No. Issue to him.

Expects him to lead the NBA in assists and average about 15 ppg

I said dude is gonna have a bad rookie year. Pros are gonna totally key on his shot release.


When lonzo drives to his right, there is a 0% chance he will shoot off the dribble.

Pro defenses are gonna eat him alive until he can shoot of the dribble to his right. My dad just wont hear it.

I can't remember a prospect this divisive (well, last year Simmons and his left/right handed ness

[TyCobb]

¥our pops is a wise man.

[Rockmaninoff]

My dad, ucla alum, is totally sold on ball

He doesn't care about the shot release at all. Like at all. No. Issue to him.

Expects him to lead the NBA in assists and average about 15 ppg

I said dude is gonna have a bad rookie year. Pros are gonna totally key on his shot release.


When lonzo drives to his right, there is a 0% chance he will shoot off the dribble.

Pro defenses are gonna eat him alive until he can shoot of the dribble to his right. My dad just wont hear it.

I can't remember a prospect this divisive (well, last year Simmons and his left/right handed ness

Get him a beast ISO teammate, and win lots of games.

[SelfishPlayer]

Was UCLA the laughing stock of the NCAA?

Lavar had absolutely no impact on UCLA as a basketball team and that's not about to change for a professional organization. Plus he has 2 other sons he's worried about.

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

Lonzo is slow now? You just didnt call him slow but you compared him to one of the slower prospects in some time that has a nickname Slo Mo. Ball is a pretty fast player (especiall in the open court) and he runs a fast paced offense. Does he have a lightening quick first step? No. But that doesnt make him Kyle Anderson 2.0 when it comes to his speed and quickness.

Lonzo Ball has blistering speed and a lightening fast first step. look at the Arizona highlights for when he beats NBA prospect Kobi Simmons with his first step out of the triple threat position.

[Duke4life831]

Yes, no NBA team is foolish enough to pass on Lonzo because of his dad. They draft based on talent #1 - everything else is a distant second. I'm not even sure how his dad can get in the way? If he's disruptive during games they will ban him from the arena.

I don't see his game translating well to the league anyways. He has elite court vision. He can certainly see over the defense but he's not all that quick. He's not fast in a straight line. Or at least that speed never translated to his college game. Was he playing slow because he could? He reminds me of how Kyle Anderson played in college

Lonzo is slow now? You just didnt call him slow but you compared him to one of the slower prospects in some time that has a nickname Slo Mo. Ball is a pretty fast player (especiall in the open court) and he runs a fast paced offense. Does he have a lightening quick first step? No. But that doesnt make him Kyle Anderson 2.0 when it comes to his speed and quickness.

Lonzo Ball has blistering speed and a lightening fast first step. look at the Arizona highlights for when he beats NBA prospect Kobi Simmons with his first step out of the triple threat position.

Ya the dude can flat out book it in the open court. I dont get how someone can say he plays slow. He is fast and he plays a fast style, not really anything slow about his game.

[Duke4life831]

My dad, ucla alum, is totally sold on ball

He doesn't care about the shot release at all. Like at all. No. Issue to him.

Expects him to lead the NBA in assists and average about 15 ppg

I said dude is gonna have a bad rookie year. Pros are gonna totally key on his shot release.


When lonzo drives to his right, there is a 0% chance he will shoot off the dribble.

Pro defenses are gonna eat him alive until he can shoot of the dribble to his right. My dad just wont hear it.

I can't remember a prospect this divisive (well, last year Simmons and his left/right handed ness

I actually think both you and your dad are right on this one. If you told me in 3-4 years that Ball is averaging a very efficient 15ppg and leading the league in assists I wont be shocked at all. I could see a stat line around the line of 16/12/5 with 2 stls, a John Stockton-esque stat line with a few less assists and a few more rebounds. But I can also see him struggling as a rookie and struggling to shoot going right, but I think he will improve on that and the dude could easily become a guy that runs a beastly offense.

[Ettorefm]

My dad, ucla alum, is totally sold on ball

He doesn't care about the shot release at all. Like at all. No. Issue to him.

Expects him to lead the NBA in assists and average about 15 ppg

I said dude is gonna have a bad rookie year. Pros are gonna totally key on his shot release.


When lonzo drives to his right, there is a 0% chance he will shoot off the dribble.

Pro defenses are gonna eat him alive until he can shoot of the dribble to his right. My dad just wont hear it.

I can't remember a prospect this divisive (well, last year Simmons and his left/right handed ness

I actually think both you and your dad are right on this one. If you told me in 3-4 years that Ball is averaging a very efficient 15ppg and leading the league in assists I wont be shocked at all. I could see a stat line around the line of 16/12/5 with 2 stls, a John Stockton-esque stat line with a few less assists and a few more rebounds. But I can also see him struggling as a rookie and struggling to shoot going right, but I think he will improve on that and the dude could easily become a guy that runs a beastly offense.

I really like Ball, but you gotta admit that his pick'n'roll action is quite concerning. Most NBA plays are pick'n'roll based, and every play has at least one. For a guy to average 10+ assists, he has to be a p'n'roll master, which Ball is not.

He'll get his assists from fast breaks and elite vision, but a guy like Markelle Fultz who's impressive off the pick'n'roll might even get more assists than Ball (or create more opportunities)