LaMelo Ball

[shotsquatch]

I'm not saying LaMelo is better than AI. I'm saying his potential is higher.

I watched two Illawarra games this year (they streamed them on twitch). LaMelo is poised on offense, even playing with grown men. He flashes upside on defense when he bothers to try. He's not particularly athletic, but his skill level and handle are incredible for a player his size.

If he puts it together, he's a perennial all-star. But I can just as easily see him stagnate as an inefficient chucker, and based on interviews I worry about his attitude.

[No-Man]

Ball has some problems on D, but he isn't trash trash

[NO-KG-AI]

Everyone's dog piling me about AI. The guy never shot above 50% in his career. Color me not impressed.

Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Tracy Mcgrady and Vince Carter all have never shot 50% either, and only Pierce has shot above 48%

Lamelo is shooting 37% against bums. He’ll probably never match the scoring numbers AI had in his first and second season.

Lonzo is poised too, who cares.

Everyone's dog piling me about AI. The guy never shot above 50% in his career. Color me not impressed.

Troll account confirmed.

Also, do people not realize how much stronger, faster and more athletic Simmons is? He is pretty much a freak of nature. LaMelo isnt even close.

The most apt comparison for LaMelo is a sort of horrid lovechild of Antoine Walker and Jason Williams.

The only rhing keeping Ben a great player is that he’s a 6’10 240+ pound elite athlete... if you take that away from him, he’d be nowhere close to good or even great, which is why this comparison is comical. They both have shooting problems, but in totally different ways as well, lol.

[dolphinatik]

I dont have much faith in Ball partly based on the hype train that also followed the previous brothers. I think that if his game was that good it would speak for itself and he would take his time going about it the right way instead of the round about way he is getting to the league. I also question how bad he personally wants it which is huge factor in determining his success. Id rather draft a guy with a chip on his shoulder that will play with that dawg in him all the time. Even Stef Curry had that, I just dont see that here.

[Worm Guts]

I think Ball’s path to the NBA is mostly about his nutty father. I also think Ball has a lot people who want him to fail because of his father.

[Slim Charlez]

I think Ball’s path to the NBA is mostly about his nutty father. I also think Ball has a lot people who want him to fail because of his father.

I wonder if he'd be as highly rated if he wasn't a ball brother. With a broken jumper, bad defense and average athleticism IDK how he's gonna be more than a post injury Livingston at his peak.

[tbhawksfan1]

Highly likely that Lonzo is the best Ball

[Dat2U]

This thread reminds me early in the Ja Morant when I saw Morant compared to Terrence Williams. Some folks obviously have not watched him play but still feel the need to sound like an expert.

[BlazersBroncos]

This thread reminds me early in the Ja Morant when I saw Morant compared to Terrence Williams. Some folks obviously have not watched him play but still feel the need to sound like an expert.

Morant is a much better athlete that Ball. His quickness in the open court is special, his finishing at the rim and through contact despite his small frame is special. At age 19 he managed a college season of near 50% FG, 36% 3PT and 82% FT. His FT rate was twice that of Ball. His TS% was 15 points higher.

Morant was thought to likely be a turnstile on defense and people wondered with his slight frame if he could translate his elite college ability to get to the rim. He wasnt a turnstile, albeit not great either, and clearly he can still get to the rim.

The warts on Ball are much more fundamental. He cant shoot, he doesnt get to the rim that well and he has zero use if the ball isnt in his hand on offense.

[King Ken]

This thread reminds me early in the Ja Morant when I saw Morant compared to Terrence Williams. Some folks obviously have not watched him play but still feel the need to sound like an expert.

Welcome to RealGM, just know that this place is the dead wrong haven. We aren't suppose to up people's terrible opinions here.

[NO-KG-AI]

That’s funny, guys are touting colossal failures getting their shooting up to 38% as a complete afterthought on a trash team as some “I told ya so” moment Boy, y’all really told us!

Ja Morant was ridiculously productive and clearly a special athlete. Lamelo is neither. If Lamelo becomes a great player, it’ll he through massive improvements and changes to his game, not from anything he’s shown now or in the past.

And if we’re predicting a guy is going to complete a total transformation of his game, then they are all potential MVP candidates.

As for LaMelo’s hunger or drive, I can’t really comment on that, I don’t think you can ever predict that until you see the results later. Too many guys pay lip service or say the right thing, it means nothing.. i won’t hold it against him because I don’t know what he does behind closed doors, when it matters, but I do know he has some horrific habits, and he’s been coddled and protected from scrutiny as much as possible.

He might be one of those guys that responds well once he gets treated like one of the guys and is expected to change his game, and he might flourish. Lonzo seems to have taken well to that, but he’s far from a star prospect.


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[SamFlow]

Ball has some problems on D, but he isn't trash trash

He's a young kid that all he thinks is basketball. More like Jason Kidd.

I tend to see him as a small forward. He needs to work on his shot and defense. But what 18 year old kid doesn't need to work on his game alot.

He was the little kid playing with his older brothers. He ran around and looked to pass. I see him in attack mode like rose driving to the basket. But I would hope he could play sf. Imagine two combo guards that can shoot and pass along with a sf that can do as well. IN this day an age, having three would be great.

[No-Man]

I think ideally he should be a 2-Guard defender who guards the worst offensive player who isn't too strong on the other team, if he can play off someone and use his intelligence for help defense, he is probably a neutral to + defender

[UcanUwill]

This thread reminds me early in the Ja Morant when I saw Morant compared to Terrence Williams. Some folks obviously have not watched him play but still feel the need to sound like an expert.

Welcome to RealGM, just know that this place is the dead wrong haven. We aren't suppose to up people's terrible opinions here.

Even the best prospects will have doubters until they are prove themselves, how is this even an argument..? Some people were wrong on Morant, so you are wrong on this guy also now..? How many Australian games of his have you guys watched ?

[jpatrick]

This thread reminds me early in the Ja Morant when I saw Morant compared to Terrence Williams. Some folks obviously have not watched him play but still feel the need to sound like an expert.

Welcome to RealGM, just know that this place is the dead wrong haven. We aren't suppose to up people's terrible opinions here.

Even the best prospects will have doubters until they are prove themselves, how is this even an argument..? Some people were wrong on Morant, so you are wrong on this guy also now..? How many Australian games of his have you guys watched ?

Every single one of Lamelo’s games is on Facebook Watch. You could easily watch every minute he played this week. After watching his games, he isn’t at the level of a normal one pick, but he has the most upside to me if anyone in this draft.

Absolutely great handle at that size. Incredible passer. Finished top ten in the NBL against grown men in steals, rebounds, and assists. He showed good IQ on defense just was soooooo weak physically and hadn’t been taught the fundamentals. In 2-3 years, with an NBA weight programs and coaching, I could see him being an upper echelon defender. Remember that Ben Simmons, while showing IQ at LSU, was a trash defender there. He is now an all-nba defensive player.

The swing skill for LaMelo is the shot. He has to make 35%ish on volume to keep the defenses honest if he wants to become a star. I’d bet on that happening over any other player in this draft making the jump to stardom.

[Dat2U]

LaMelo has the tools to be a good defender. Good defense can be taught and its not like he has terrible instincts. The selling point is the PG skillset at his size and the ability to breakdown defenders unlike his brother and create. He's clearly the most talented and skilled Ball brother. The shot will need to improve but you can say that about alot the perceived lottery prospects in this draft.

[NO-KG-AI]

I don’t think Lamelo is faster in the open court or better at the rim than Lonzo, and his shot mechanics need even more work. He seems more creative as a ballhandler, but I don’t think he’s better as a passer.

He’ll gain a lot of ground if his body takes to weight gain like Lavar or Liangelo, as opposed to the thin build like Lonzo.... but his body type looks more like Lonzo’s.

If his shot gets completely reworked he’s way more interesting, but how often does that happen? It’s not just a matter of needing reps here.


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[BlazersBroncos]

If his shot gets completely reworked he’s way more interesting, but how often does that happen? It’s not just a matter of needing reps here.

Ya, I keep saying it but Lonzo's shot mechanics were not nearly as bad as LaMelo. Lonzo had a hitch in that he started his motion from his hip, but he had a nice flick and follow through. LaMelo throws the ball up with his hands on the side basically, he has no follow through and changing a shot is much easier if its a hitch like Lonzo than a full reworking of the follow through mechanics like LaMelo.

I would also argue that Lonzo is a better passer. Not as flashe, but he keeps the ball moving in a special way. LaMelo has some unique full court vision, but that trait alone isnt worth a top-5 pick. In the half court do you trust him to keep the ball moving and make those quick, simple passes? I sure dont.

[BostonCouchGM]

The way the NBA is officiated (or not) and how coaches allow guys who can't defend or shoot to be high usage and get as many shots as they want as long as they're "stars", I've had to completely alter how I project players and for Ball, that means he's climbed up my board. I think there's a chance he could be like Luka i.e. terrible defense, lots of turnovers, poor shooting, but high BBIQ, lots of assists, filling stat sheets and putting pants in the seats. He's now #2 on my board where, before, when using criteria meant for how the NBA is supposed to be, he was late lottery. I think CHA and CHI are desperate for Ball to fall to them.

[pcbothwel]

The way the NBA is officiated (or not) and how coaches allow guys who can't defend or shoot to be high usage and get as many shots as they want as long as they're "stars", I've had to completely alter how I project players and for Ball, that means he's climbed up my board. I think there's a chance he could be like Luka i.e. terrible defense, lots of turnovers, poor shooting, but high BBIQ, lots of assists, filling stat sheets and putting pants in the seats. He's now #2 on my board where, before, when using criteria meant for how the NBA is supposed to be, he was late lottery. I think CHA and CHI are desperate for Ball to fall to them.

Lol... Doncic had an AST% of 45% and TOV% of 14%... even without his ridiculous FTr, his eFg% was 53%... Lebron and Hardens career average is 55% and 52%...lol. What a terrible take.

Ball has a weak frame with high center of gravity. That, along with his terrible shooting numbers / form and terrible defense doesnt even put him in my top 10... and Im being kind.