ChrisInAZ wrote:Marcus wrote:ChrisInAZ wrote:I've watched Ball a ton now and I guess he's just a different animal, but I almost never see him "take on" a defender...use his handle...drive to the hoop...get fouled. I think he's has like 20 FTA total in his last 10 or 11 games.
I don't know if I've ever seen him draw a 2nd defender in the lane to enable bounce pass to a big for an easy score. Just bounce passes in general I've hardly seen from him. Rarely seems to probe a half court defense for weaknesses. His half court assists are almost always the quick read and then great execution. Nice and sometimes great "richochets" if you will, but not what I'm used to from PG. He's not so much the guiding gear or fulcrum of the half court offense, but more the grease. On the transition he's fantastic, but just seems so often deferential in half court unless opportunity opens up. He kills on the openings, but he doesn't seem to be creating those openings. He's been compared to J Kidd, but while Kidd did the richochet thing, he also wreaked havoc on defenses with pressure...created those gaps and then attacked them. I don't see anything like that in Ball's game.
Pulling up for a mid-range if there's not an assist possibility?...almost never.
Plenty of Great from Ball for sure, but these gaps feel so large to me when extrapolated up to an NBA reality. All the experts are saying he's going to be amazing, and I'll readily admit I don't know s***, just relaying what I see and feel. It's confusing as hell.
Admittance is the first step.
It can be hard to "get it" when it comes to Ball because he's not doing what everybody else is doing. But when you accept that he's not like everyone else and look at what he does do you better understand how beautiful his game is to watch.
Ok so there's nothing at all to be concerned about if using your once in a lifetime (for Suns fans) #1 pick on him with other bona fide #1 talent available. It's simply poor perception by me. Just pearls before swine. Cool.
Well, since it sure seems you're practically Ball's press agent (just a joke). A different Ball facet for you to hopefully quell regarding my fears of chosing him #1-
Should Suns fans
in particular have any concerns in drafting him from a personality standpoint? The Suns FO has made player personnel alienation a staple over the last 4 years in dealing with players who ah? Um? Aren't having things go exactly their way...things then just deteriorate to the point that (insert unhappy player) mutiny, a soap opera starts airing and they force their way out...Dragic, Markieff Morris, Knight more e.g.. That if something crazy happens such as Ball doesn't just slide right into his HOF NBA career super smooth with this rebuilding Suns team and rookie-related difficulties arise. That his first year or god forbid, two, have a learning/adjustment curve element. He'd be a good student, be cool, if he couldn't quite lead the team right from the get-go...right? His Dad would be understanding if his son did require a little time for adjustment to the NBA game...you would think, right? Bledsoe could very well be somewhere else by next season, but damn good little PG Ulis can run half court O quite nicely already. No Ball drama worries, right?
For the Suns? No, not a lot to be concerned with because of the roster you already have in place. You have shooters, you have cutters, you have rollers, you have finishers. Does your team not run better with a pass first PG in Ulis making things happen for you?
You're adding a guy that moves well without the ball, likes to push in transition, keeps the ball moving, has good size, can shoot, pass, rebound, and occasionally defend. You won't nor should you be asking Ball to score like Bledsoe or Knight. You want Ball playing his game. His game is going to get better looks for Bender, Booker, Chriss, and Warren. All guys that can put the ball in the basket if given a chance. Ball pulls all that together and he does it without forcing action that isn't there, moving the ball to keep everybody happy, and hitting shooters in their pockets.
Can I claim to know his dad won't be a problem? No. I don't personally think he will be. We haven't seen him be any sort of problem thus far so why one would automatically assume he would be is cynical. When Lonzo was being weened into his current spot at UCLA we didn't hear anything. No drama with the Chino Hills coaches. Why expect him to act out just because he's proud of his sons?
I know it seems like I cape for the kid but it's more I just want people to have a better understanding of what they're a seeing before they just automatically write the kid off because they think his shot is ugly or his dad talks too much.
Does he need to work on aspects of his game? Without question, but the kid can play. Are there more appealing prospects? Sure, especially if you're looking for specific skillsets. Nothing wrong with feeling that way.
Give me the logic in believing a rookie that thrives in ball movement, player movement, making the smart pass, and hitting open looks would have a tougher time adjusting to NBA size and speed than a rookie that needs to score to be effective and main appeal is the arsenal of shots he takes?
Why is the tough shot making ISO guy expected to transition better against bigger, stronger, faster, longer athletes than the guy making the right play right now until the game slows down and opens up for him?
Like I said absolutely nothing wrong with wanting your pick to play a certain style of basketball. If you want a more score heavy PG then Lonzo isn't your guy. If you want a one on one stud, Lonzo isn't your guy. Luckily you have plenty of other options to give you that with this draft class. I just happen to think you guys present the perfect foundation to drop a guy like Lonzo into and watch the flourish in all your young guns.
