Ball Don't Lie: The LaMelo Ball Thread

karkinos · Post #1041 » by **karkinos** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 1:42 pm

saw lamelo live vs new orleans pelicans
he's the real deal, congrats

Braggins · Post #1042 » by **Braggins** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:18 pm

Did LaMelo train with Lonzo during the long covid break?

NCHeels2008 · Post #1043 » by **NCHeels2008** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 2:46 pm

oldshoolballer wrote:
Snidely FC wrote:Lamelo is what this franchise needed someone to make it nationally relevant

I agree LaMelo has given the team a huge lift. Just the energy he brings seems to motivate the team.

you could see it from his first preseason game, his passes get people to wanna run the floor

Chapelchilla · Post #1044 » by **Chapelchilla** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 3:33 pm

penquin11 wrote:Guys I'm scared. I think we may have possibly selected the best player in the draft this year and I've never experienced that. Even though it's early LaMelo is clearly going to be a special player.

lol, right! It’s like we opened the Christmas presents early and still got the keys to a Porsche

Liver_Pooty · Post #1045 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:14 pm

Whens the last time a player won rookie of the year and 6th man of the year in the same season

KembaWalker · Post #1046 » by **KembaWalker** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:20 pm

I'm not gonna let people slow me down on the Melo hype train either..I still remember the goal post moving, cold water throwing on Cam Newton's start, so many people just trying to stop people from enjoying history and having hope when we barely get any from sports in this city.

HornetJail · Post #1047 » by **HornetJail** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:29 pm

Liver_Pooty wrote:Whens the last time a player won rookie of the year and 6th man of the year in the same season

Nobody's ever done both, but Ben Gordon was the last rookie to win 6MOY. Mek was the ROY that year

James Gatz · Post #1048 » by **James Gatz** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:37 pm

KEMBAtheMETEOR wrote:
Liver_Pooty wrote:Whens the last time a player won rookie of the year and 6th man of the year in the same season

Nobody's ever done both, but Ben Gordon was the last rookie to win 6MOY. Mek was the ROY that year

Kyrus, where you at on LaMelo now? Not intending to put you on blast just legit curious.

I love the optimism of this thread currently but I think we do need to tamper our expectations somewhat for the rest of this season. Melo will certainly hit the rookie wall at some point.

HornetJail · Post #1049 » by **HornetJail** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 6:44 pm

James Gatz wrote:
KEMBAtheMETEOR wrote:
Liver_Pooty wrote:Whens the last time a player won rookie of the year and 6th man of the year in the same season

Nobody's ever done both, but Ben Gordon was the last rookie to win 6MOY. Mek was the ROY that year

Kyrus, where you at on LaMelo now? Not intending to put you on blast just legit curious.

I love the optimism of this thread currently but I think we do need to tamper our expectations somewhat for the rest of this season. Melo will certainly hit the rookie wall at some point.

Pleasantly surprised and hopeful. If he keeps up with his current play I'm happy with the pick. I'm waiting till the league as a whole makes adjustments and how he powers through the rookie wall before proclaiming him the next GOAT though.

The shot and the defense were always the biggest thing driving me away from him as a draft prospcet, and neither has been anywhere as bad as I was expecting (was expecting Westbrook level outside shooting and Trae level defense). So I'm optimistic.

wilson115 · Post #1050 » by **wilson115** » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:07 pm

Okay, so someone really did try to look at something that I thought defied analysis. Shared by Pearlman:

What is “feel?”

If I had to describe feel in more concrete terms, I’d describe it as the sum of a player’s pattern recognition, visual processing (especially spatial recognition), and processing speed.

... I do think all three subcategories of feel can be developed. We’ve seen a small scale “experiment” of this kind recently, in-fact. The Ball brothers played their entire youth careers in a free-flowing, fast paced, open offense. The goal, especially at Chino Hills, was to create advantages through a series of fast paced offensive possessions designed to force quick decisions. This meant that fast processors thrived, and those that took longer to process found little success. The result was two Balls drafted in the top 3 of their respective drafts. We don’t talk about LiAngelo.

Both Lonzo and LaMelo were highly touted as decision-makers and creators coming out of college. The NBA is the highest level of professional basketball worldwide, and that means the margins are extremely fine. In a league filled with world best athletes who have been playing basketball for decades, the pace of play is breakneck and that means each decision you make is a quick one, theoretically a half second or less in some offenses. After years in similar systems, the Ball Brothers became experts at making good decisions with little time to do so, and their respective tenures in the league have reflected that so far.

https://ezhoops.co/2021/01/04/feel-and-feel-accessories/

Chapelchilla · Post #1051 » by **Chapelchilla** » Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:07 pm

wilson115 wrote:Okay, so someone really did try to look at something that I thought defied analysis. Shared by Pearlman:

What is “feel?”

If I had to describe feel in more concrete terms, I’d describe it as the sum of a player’s pattern recognition, visual processing (especially spatial recognition), and processing speed.

... I do think all three subcategories of feel can be developed. We’ve seen a small scale “experiment” of this kind recently, in-fact. The Ball brothers played their entire youth careers in a free-flowing, fast paced, open offense. The goal, especially at Chino Hills, was to create advantages through a series of fast paced offensive possessions designed to force quick decisions. This meant that fast processors thrived, and those that took longer to process found little success. The result was two Balls drafted in the top 3 of their respective drafts. We don’t talk about LiAngelo.

Both Lonzo and LaMelo were highly touted as decision-makers and creators coming out of college. The NBA is the highest level of professional basketball worldwide, and that means the margins are extremely fine. In a league filled with world best athletes who have been playing basketball for decades, the pace of play is breakneck and that means each decision you make is a quick one, theoretically a half second or less in some offenses. After years in similar systems, the Ball Brothers became experts at making good decisions with little time to do so, and their respective tenures in the league have reflected that so far.

https://ezhoops.co/2021/01/04/feel-and-feel-accessories/

Interesting read. Thanks

penquin11 · Post #1052 » by **penquin11** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 3:35 am

Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.

Rich4114 · Post #1053 » by **Rich4114** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 4:19 am

penquin11 wrote:Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.

Particularly the ability to finish at the rim and absorb fouls to get to the line. If he can put some muscle on for next season and work on that part of his game to add to what he’s already got (at 19 years old!) oh man.

MugzZo · Post #1054 » by **MugzZo** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 4:22 am

penquin11 wrote:Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.

What if Co-ROY'S Jason Kidd, and Grant Hill fused? that's how I look at LaMelo's potential.

Liver_Pooty · Post #1055 » by **Liver_Pooty** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:58 am

MugzZo wrote:
penquin11 wrote:Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.
What if Co-ROY'S Jason Kidd, and Grant Hill fused? that's how I look at LaMelo's potential.

Maybe if Ball was anything close to Hills athleticism

penquin11 · Post #1056 » by **penquin11** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 8:01 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:
MugzZo wrote:
penquin11 wrote:Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.
What if Co-ROY'S Jason Kidd, and Grant Hill fused? that's how I look at LaMelo's potential.

Maybe if Ball was anything close to Hills athleticism

People always forget what a freak that dude was prior to his injury. You have to wonder just how good he would've been had he not gotten injured.

MugzZo · Post #1057 » by **MugzZo** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 8:34 am

Liver_Pooty wrote:
MugzZo wrote:
penquin11 wrote:Dude went 3-13 tonight but still managed to finish +4 in +/- stats with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. Really once he masters his shot he will be an NBA Superstar.
What if Co-ROY'S Jason Kidd, and Grant Hill fused? that's how I look at LaMelo's potential.

Maybe if Ball was anything close to Hills athleticism

Kidd was a limited athlete. So im thinking more of a happy medium. If he gains 15 to 20 pounds over the next 2 years he has point forward potential in certain lineups.

Soul Rebel · Post #1058 » by **Soul Rebel** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:54 pm

I don't know if this has been asked, but have we seen LaMelo dunk yet?

Not imperative, but a 6'7" super sudden player surely has had the opportunity in one of his FG attempts to yam it home....I don't recall seeing it yet.

James Gatz · Post #1059 » by **James Gatz** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:27 pm

Soul Rebel wrote:I don't know if this has been asked, but have we seen LaMelo dunk yet?

Not imperative, but a 6'7" super sudden player surely has had the opportunity in one of his FG attempts to yam it home....I don't recall seeing it yet.

He's had one according to basketball ref and I believe it was in the OKC game on a fastbreak.

LaMelo has below average literal pop. It's something that hopefully improves as he gets stronger in his lower body but I wouldn't expect him to ever be a guy who really yams.

MPM · Post #1060 » by **MPM** » Tue Jan 12, 2021 7:29 pm

Soul Rebel wrote:I don't know if this has been asked, but have we seen LaMelo dunk yet?

Not imperative, but a 6'7" super sudden player surely has had the opportunity in one of his FG attempts to yam it home....I don't recall seeing it yet.

Recall a soft flush in the first game or two, but - yeah - he'll likely always be a finesse finisher.

EDIT - found it - v. OKC

Watch on YouTube