Chi town wrote:King Ken wrote:Bulls like the Knicks need LaMelo Ball. He will take some time, will likely suck ass the first half of the season but if you give him time like Trae Young to develop, he will likely reward the franchise.
I don't know who else could change Chicago faith in this draft. This draft is more useless for you guys than even my Hawks
Maybe. It’s taken Lonzo a long time. Lamelo’s shot is father behind and his D is not nearly as good. He’s a better playmaker and can get his own shot. Lonzo still can only get a step back.
I wouldn't compare the two as prospects in terms of what they are:
Lonzo was a 7.5 floor 9.5 ceiling prospect with shooting being his swing skill.
In reality, it was a 7.5 floor 8 ceiling prospect as shooting just never came around and his ceiling was overstated as his playmaking wasn't real for the NBA even though it was for the NCAA.
Still, Lonzo was a higher-end prospect. Just more of a lottery one more than a top 3 sure thing.
Lonzo was expected to be a 8 offense to 7 defense when in reality was a 6.5 offense to 8.5 defense as a rookie. Right now, 7 offense to 9 defense.
LaMelo is different. He's exceptionally skilled and his playmaking is real. He's not just an exceptional passer like Zo, he also is a tremendous PnR player as well as a natural scorer. These things help him a lot. Too much of what Zo did was not real, he score a ton in transition but that's a lot harder to do in the NBA. While what Melo does is effective in the NBA. Floaters, in-and-out, half court offense, PnR playmaking and scoring. LeMelo has elite offensive potential. Zo was assumed to have it but never did. Even then, many questioned Zo's offensive upside which really no one does for Melo.
For Melo, his swing skill is clear. It's shooting. It's what will likely take him from his current offense which is a 7 to a much higher score ASAP. Melo's current is a 7 on offense and a 5 on defense. He's not the prospect Zo was but he's probably a lot more likely to actually be a superstar.
I would say, I like LaMelo more as a prospect than most PG's in general. The closest prospect to him for me is Trae Young. He's not the scorer or shooter Young is potentially but Ball can rebound a lot better, can play multiple offensive positions, and might be more skilled as a prospect than even Young was.
For me, here's my top 10 prospect PG's in the last 10 years:
1. Ja Morant - 7.5/9.5 Fit the modern NBA. Swing skill was shooting. Instant translation to the NBA.
2. Lonzo Ball - 7.5/9.5 I was one of those guys who had Zo as the #1 overall prospect in this class. Jason Kidd comparisons too. His offense never ever went above a 7 in reality.
3. John Wall - 6.5/9.5 No bust potential. The shooting was a major ???. Might be the best talent I've seen at the position
4. Kyrie Irving - 7/9 As talented a player I've seen. I wasn't sold on him being a PG. I looked at him as an undersized SG.
5. Damian Lillard - 8/8.5 I was supersold on Dame Lillard but I didn't think he would be this good honestly. Not even close.
6. Trae Young- 6/9 - I didn't think his offense was going to be this good honestly. He was a bust or superstar for me. His skill level was exceptional and his playmaking was real. It was the shooting and scoring I wasn't sold on as well as his body.
7/5 was my expectation as a rookie. He was worse than that till DEC. He was literally a 6.5/5. Might have been the worst in the NBA. Then instantly, jumped to a 8.5 on offense and finished the year a 9.5 on offense. Massive jump but the game slowed down and he just became unstoppable.
7. LaMelo Ball - 6/9 - See Trae Young. I don't feel he's going to be the shooter Trae became nor do I think he will be the scorer Trae became as a rookie. But he will be a better rebounder and showcase more versatility. I am not expecting even mid-tier G league level defense in year 1.
8. DeAaron Fox - 7/8.5 Honestly, he was worse than I expected as a rookie but finish strong. He got on the right path last year and now seems to be stuck due to SAC's incompetency.
9. Collin Sexton - 7/8.5 - I completely bombed this one. He is a good player but he doesn't have a real position. I was in love with his makeup as a player but the reality wasn't as sweet.
10. Coby White - 6.5/8.5 - I really liked White. I felt he has some Gilbert Arenas in him down the road. Chicago is a bad fit. He will not get that chance.
Honorable Mentions: Frank N, Dante E., Kemba W., E. Mudiay, and T. Burke. No specific order. All of them were tier 3 guys for me. The ones 1-10 were tier 2-2.5
