DY_nasty wrote:
But oh LaMelo Ball? That's different.
Disagree on some points above, but appreciate you laying out your argument!
Off-ball is definitely a concern if you don't think he's capable of being a primary initiator. For me, I don't see his value unless he constantly has the ball in his hands.
We're in a pretty large disagreement about his handle in traffic. For me, it's easily the best in this class. This is evidenced by his incredibly low ast:to rate. There's one play where he gets doubled after beating his initial man and has an amazing beyond the back pass in a crowded paint for an easy lay in. I'm pretty sure it's in the Schmitz vid.
I'm also in some disagreement about his "ugly floater." His floater is sort of wild with the range he's able to shoot it from and the touch he's able to put on it. Considering his form will prevent him from ever having a true midrange shot, he'll have to develop it more. Definitely a swing skill for him.
Lack of sample size is a fair criticism. 12 games is not a ton. It's clearly more than Wiseman, but I won't go there.
For me his negatives include:
- Lack of strength when it comes to finishing
- Shot Selection, especially when he takes some of those awful deep off the dribble 3s.
- Lack of interest in on ball defense/how often he gambles
At this point it'll be a "we'll see" scenario. I don't think there will be much convincing the other about Lamelo takes at this point!
Part of the bummer of the draft being pushed back again is how kinda boring it is to obsess over the same prospects.