Lonzo Ball
 

Alright, let's talk some basketball!

Lonzo Ball - what are your predictions? He did pretty well in the Summer League, but that was against other rookies. What's going to happen when he starts playing against the big boys? He obviously makes others around him perform better because he loves passing the ball, but how will he contribute points-wise? I think people are taking it too far when they call him "the face of the franchise for the next 10 years." Will he win RC of the Year? Can be beat Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz?

Give him a few years. Simmons already injured for one year so if Ball plays a game hes already better than simmons was the first year. So thats an easy one.

As to Fultz who was drafted higher than him he doesnt have to be better than him to prove anything his first year as he was drafted after him.

Basically when year is over the Lakers i think wont regret drafting him. How he does in year 2-3 is the real measuring stick to me though. No the first year when he only was in college one year.

The Tatum kid wont carry the load for the celtics but hell be on tv lot as the celtics are a high end playoff team....hes going to be the most efficient scoring wise versus any other high end rookies but his numbers wont be as high.

Will his dad pull him off the team if he does not like the way he is being coached

who knows could happen but eventually he will be fully independent with his decisions....its not if its when..

Not sure what that even means but I am sure you must be right.

I am not sure what that means but im sure it was witty

...and how is he going to keep his shoe business going now that all his potential east-coast customers got their sneakers on the cheap in Miami a few weeks ago?

...and isn't this entire family's fifteen minutes up already? Where's Honey Boo-Boo when you really need her?


Wait...I just remembered Rodman...guess as long as there's enough microphones....

Bless Their Hearts...


Let's talk basketball...NO, let's not.

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Fun little poll might be " How long will it take for Lonzo's dad to be banned from Laker games ".

1 week, 2 weeks, ect.

That kids dad is going to be a mess in the stands, and it won't take long for him to melt down, or one's sitting by him to complain about his behavior.

I guess I don't understand why he hasn't put his dad in check. I know your dad is your dad, but when you become an adult you should be able to understand what's happening around you. It's clear to anyone that his dad is living his life through his sons. When you're an adult there is a distance that a mature person would put between himself and his father. Maybe it's an issue with maturity.

He's only 19 and in today's world that's still a kid. Plus this is an exceptionally dominant Dad.

There was a time Venus Williams and Serena Williams appeared to be totally controlled and there was greater power in tennis world for them versus the Balls...but they grew up and became independent...the maturity issue will solve itself

Please tell me more about this.
Thanks

D'Angelo Russell was a disappointment. The Lakers gave him the key to the team and a huge green light. He couldn't get it going.

Just cross fingers Lonzo Ball does markedly better. He has Magic Johnson, with vested interest, to help him along - a big plus.

Julius Randall can play. Verdict still out with Jordan Clarkson. It sure will be interesting and will be watching box scores diligently.

GO LAKERS !

His dad is definitely exceptional in that department. I think back to when I was 19 and that was probably the time in my life I listened to my parents the least. I'm just a little surprised a young superstar in the making isn't telling his dad to take a step back.

" When I was 14 years old my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years".... Mark Twain

I would never speak for Mark Twain. When I was 19 I'd only been out of the house for 2 years at college. I probably talked to my parents once a semester.

"I'm not young enough to know everything"-- Oscar Wilde

Different world with no devices and long distance calls costing a sheetload, eh? My 28 year old daughter will text me a picture now asking if she is parked too far from the curb. Yeah different world.

This guy makes me sick to my stomach....Why does ESPN constantly show him? I dont get it...

And you don't think their asshole Dad still doesn't control them? Man....Please....He is a piece of garbage....

I hope this punk falls flat on his face....His dad is complete garbage, and a complete thug....

And a douche bag.....

High profile kid with some genuine talent, why not?

Not talking about him Pete, his miserable and despicable father....

I don't see any reason to believe Richard controls them. Yes he was very overprotective and probably overbearing as a father-coach, but they both seem to be fine young women as well as phenomenal tennis players so I don't see the negativity here.

My bad, Yes, I was talking about him....He treats the media and other people like garbage...

...has he even announced that he's running?



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How does the whole world not realize they are being played by Lamar Ball? Have you listened to his kids? They were raised right. They are humble, soft-spoken and respectful to the utmost. The only way to make that jibe with the public persona of Lamar is to realize that the public persona is just that, an act, a highly successful act. An act that, if everyone stopped paying attention to it, would end quite quickly. If this was the real Lamar Ball his kids would be the same way. My hat's off to him for playing the game so well and raising good kids.

+1

Look at the other NBA players with all their tattoos and bad attitude. The Ball brothers are good boys.

I hope Lonzo does well.

On another note, why didn't the summer tournaments tell Lavar Ball to take a hike. If I was a tournament director, I would have told him that we weren't interested in his antics after the first walkout. What does that teach the kids? If you don't get your way, have a tantrum and then quit? Wonderful.

Not so fast Scott
 

I had two friends growing up. Both are quiet, intelligent, soft spoken, and well mannered. Both also had dads who marched up and down the sidelines at their youth games berating refs, berating coaches, yelling instructions to their children constantly and when they got home both were physically and emotionally abusive to their kids. Just because kids appear to turn out "right" does not mean they were well parented. I mention this because the actions of the older ball so mirror these two men of which i am thinking , that I truly worry how he treated/ treats these young men at home. I hope you are right, but don't be so positive.

Hmm....A "good guy" who basically demanded a partnership with a shoe company instead of a normal contract. All before playing one game. Then put out his own shoe at an absurd price and used the "You're only cool if you can afford to be stupid" sales pitch.

And who want to determine what team drafts them. It worked out, but I'd have been really happy if LA passed and nobody else wanted the drama so he fell to round 2 or 3.

He'll probably do ok, he's already done better than dads 2.2ppg in college, and LA doesn't really have anyone else.

It might be worth watching basketball again if only to see his "welcome to the NBA" moments.

Steve B

If Lonzo can't improve his shooting, then LA will eventually sack him.

His lack of defense is also troubling. He just camps for drebs. At least ingram had a nice game.

Also excited to see them vs nets for a lil'revenge game point guard style.

People are so impatient. Every rookie has to perform well right out of the box or he's the biggest bust of all time. Thank god Lou Gehrig isn't coming up today. Yankee fans were sour on Judge after a month. Never ends.

It's probably true that people expect too much too early. But he or his dad went with the hype angle, so they set that expectation.
Checking a few guys who had pretty big expectations,

Points Through 8 games

Ball 9.1
Bird 18.875
Jordan 25.125
Shaq 25.625
Lebron 17
Magic 19.375 - didn't play 3 games, so that's through his first 8
Bryant 3.75 - didn't play game 1 of the season and was a bench player with under 10 min/game. 3.75 is for his first 8 games he played. Extending to a normal number of minutes puts him probably in the upper teens for points.

I only did points, because the stats weren't there on basketball reference for assists and rebounds.
And I did these manually, so I stopped with just a few stars. If I knew how to search for stats through 8 games I'd have done more.


Considering the hype, I don't think he's living up to it. He may eventually, and if he does, good for him.
Now how much of that slow performance has been that he's being treated as an overhyped kid and not as a more typical rookie? I can't even guess.

On a side note, Shaq was billed by some as the next Jordan, and I didn't figure him as being that good, good but not Jordan. I was surprised to see his first 8 games were slightly better.

Steve B

Exactly. They marketed the hell out of him and the kid can't even shoot.

Snapolit1, this is not just about the fans but the Lakers as well. This is an organization that wants to turn things around quickly and are not going to spend years waiting around for Lonzo. Look what they did to D'Angelo Russell.

Hope this kid doesn't someday go the route of Todd Marinovich. Hard living in the shadow of such an overbearing crazy father. Must be a lot of non stop pressure.

The 27th pick, Kyle Kuzma, is exceeding expectations. I think Julius Randle is solid, nice young player. Not sure why he is not a starter. Ouch with the injury to Nance Jr., but he looks promising. Loans Ball, well, I am kinda holding my breath right now. Go Lakers!

It would be somewhat ironic if LiAngelo was lifting Ball shoes in China.

It would be even better if it turned out they were knock-offs. :D

as a big time laker fan for 40 yrs this team is awful...