CalGTR wrote:RingsDontLie wrote:Daaaang were people calling simmons a turd when he went 2-9 in his debut. I'm really not concerned after one summer game. Fultz wasn't exactly spectacular going 6-19 himself in one summer game. I thought Ball had a bad game. There were a couple of plays when he went around his man and looked like he had an easy bucket but decided to pass instead. That to me just shows it's all mental for him right now.
But the main issue is that we played real slow. The game dragged because there were tons of foul calls.
The issue with Ball is that his game isn't really about scoring. I was expecting like 10 points today and what I got was surprisingly worst. I thought he made some good passes out there however. But he's definitely got to get use to the NBA.
As for Ingram, 26 points should be the norm for him going forward. In the regular season I expect that to drop down a little to say, 22ppg. Ingram is really going to grow this season, especially since he is on a young team.
Neutral observer here, very surprised at what I saw from Ball tonight, and I'm not really talking about his poor shooting. Even if we gift him 35% of those shots, the player we saw tonight does not look like he's worth a 1st rd pick, let alone #2.
Respectfully, there was nothing encouraging about his performance. About the only successful passes he made were of the easiest, no-pressure variety. On the few times he tried to drive and dish, his passes out to the perimeter were awful. So awful that the recipient had no chance to get a shot off. Ball looked slow, un-explosive, and completely overmatched. His defense was as bad as I've seen. Again, slow. No explosion. No technique. His body looks completely unprepared for the NBA. Sure, that will improve, but just look at all the other rookies - those guys look like they've put in the work. Ball looks soft. He's got good length, but that's about it.
Will he shoot better? Well, sure. I assume he won't shoot 15% or whatever his entire career. But it wouldn't surprise me to see that broken shot of his keep him at 30-35% from 3, and even then those would have to be uncontested. That technique of bringing the ball up from down left up across his face to the right is just not going to produce the kind of repeatable results the best shooters have. Mechanics matter. If he turns into an amazing playmaker somehow (which is tough to see with his lack of handle and lack of quickness), 35% from three would be OK. If he's just a perimeter facilitator with no real ability to create his own shot or break a defense down, then 35% wouldn't be enough to justify his place on the floor. Particularly with the awful defense.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, but I'm shocked at this point that the Lakers picked a guy with such marked weaknesses at #2 in the draft.
There was a guy that went number 1 with some marked weaknesses in the draft...namely no jumpshot..his name was Simmons.
But Lonzo doesn't have a bad shot.
One bad night doesn't erase the fact that he shot well over 50% FG in college. He was consistent in college. Why does one bad summer league game make him a poor inconsistent shooter from a neutral observer? I don't get it. I have to tell you under that kind of pressure around him...not many people would perform that well. This guy is getting tons of attention...and he's in a franchise where that attention gets magnified 100x more.
All he needs to do is loosen up really and he'll have a far better game imo.
ClipsFanSince98 wrote:Yes and far inferior prospects or skilled players apparently.
Far inferior to Ingram that is evident. Ball succumbed to the pressure. I rather he did it now in summer league rather than later. Because his shot is eventually going to fall, and that will open up the drive, passing, and everything else.
But you are comparing a mid twenties team to our core who are literally teenagers still. Clippers roster really isn't a true summer league rookie team. I mean shoot, Marshal is like 30 years old, wtf
