Enforcer84 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 True; and the guy (Malcom Brogdon) they're starting right now isn't bad, averaging 15 pts 5 assists almost. And is only in his second year. But despite giving up 4 inches to the incumbent, Bledsoe is a (much) better rebounder and defender, scores off the ball (he played more off guard his last campaign.) and I think the two can play together. I think, overall he's an upgrade though possibly only for the short term. I think Brodgon could be a good player, his stats so far (and it's only 8 games in) speak of a good bump in production from his rookie season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 8, 2017 Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 Yeah, I agree. And Brogdon can always go to 6th man, and make that his own. ANd given Giannis can every position up to and maybe including center. They shouldn't any problem being able to tinker as needed throughout any game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pariah Posted November 8, 2017 Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 On 11/6/2017 at 11:16 PM, Enforcer84 said: Somehow, I don't think LaVar actually wants them to be good ball-players, just famous ones. Well, getting arrested for shoplifting in China will certainly make you famous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 I saw that. And laughed my butt off. Pariah 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 8, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2017 LaVar ball is the very public face of all those asshole sports parents (or pageant parent or child actor parent) stereotypes. His kids are going to have to deal with that their adult lives and I don't suspect it will be pretty for them. Some get through it, and Lonzo seems to be one of those who will - from what I've read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 9, 2017 Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 Unfortunately his brothers don't have a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 9, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2017 there's always a chance but yeah if they turn out like the father things will go poorly for them. Clearly he's a bad coach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 10, 2017 Report Share Posted November 10, 2017 On 11/8/2017 at 5:49 PM, Enforcer84 said: LaVar ball is the very public face of all those asshole sports parents (or pageant parent or child actor parent) stereotypes. His kids are going to have to deal with that their adult lives and I don't suspect it will be pretty for them. Some get through it, and Lonzo seems to be one of those who will - from what I've read. Of course, thinking about it, Stephen A SMith complaining about Lonzo's first game was probably a bad example. Lonzo could channel WIlt Chamberlain and put up a triple-20, and SMith would find someway to blast LOnzo for that performance. Note: In any case I actually do think Lonzo Ball will be a bust based on what we expect from a #2 pick. But, do think he more than likely will turn into a fairly serviceable but not particularly spectacular guard, in time. I would only call that a bust for the high pick used on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2017 The #2 spot goes to a tremendous number of underachievers, not sure why (exceptions exist of course, Kevin Durant) but the guys picked #2 have missed the mark with (IMO) shocking regularity. Now, Stephen A Smith (And ESPN in general) should be ignored, sports journalism isn't being performed there anymore. They're click bait and propaganda for the leagues and little else. Lonzo continues to struggle with most aspects of the game and a few guys I trust say they're starting to get concerned. I'll say that Ingram (#2 last year and considered a potential bust) is showing more this year. But the names will haunt the NBA for generations: (The Lakers have had the 2nd pick for 3 straight years...huh) the Bolded Guys are - BUSTS, unaltered are so average as to not be noticed, the Underlined Guys had decent careers and the Italics guys are superstars or better (going to give our lakers the benefit of the doubt, D'Angelo is playing well in Brooklyn and Brandon is coming on. Jabari Parker isn't starting for the Bucks and that's kind of where I draw the line 2017 Lonzo Ball 2016 Brandon Ingram 2015 D'Angelo Russell 2014 Jabari Parker 2013 Victor Oladipo 2012 Michael Kidd-Gilchrist 2011 Derrick Williams 2010 Evan Turner 2009 Hasheem Thabeet 2008 Michael Beasley 2007 Kevin Durant 2006 LaMarcus Aldridge 2005 Marvin Williams 2004 Emeka Okafor 2003 Darko Milicic 2002 Jay Williams 2001 Tyson Chandler 2000 Stromile Swift 1999 Steve Francis 1998 Mike Bibby 1997 Keith Van Horn 1996 Marcus Camby 1995 Antonio McDyess 1994 Jason Kidd 1993 Shawn Bradley 1992 Alonzo Mourning 1991 Kenny Anderson 1990 Gary Payton 1989 Danny Ferry 1988 Rik Smits 1987 Armon Gilliam 1986 Len Bias 1985 Wayman Tisdale 1984 Sam Bowie 1983 Steve Stipanovich 1982 Terry Cummings 1981 Isiah Thomas 1980 Darrell Griffith This is all my opinion, and Len Bias died without ever playing a game but that's gotta qualify as a bust. Also you could probably call quite a few of the "Average" Guys busts too. I just don't think their careers were so egregious. Some of these guys were just wasted potential too flashing brightly and then fizzling (Steve Francis could be an average guy but he was pretty amazing for a while there) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 10, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2017 Could this be the season LeBron's Stranglehold over the east ends? The Cavs are looking pedestrian and Bill Simmons is now lying about his opinion of Kyrie Irving over the last few years because Irving is playing his butt off on both sides of the floor in Boston. I think the Celts (if Tatum's injury is minor) could still challenge for the #1 seed in the East without Hayward (and there are some who think he might come back this year) Bullets are trendy picks but have been beaten by some bad teams. The Raptors are looking good early on, and Detroit, Charlotte, and Orlando all look stronger than last year. We'll see how long they can go before Dwight Howard, Andre Drummond and Reggie Jackson, Or Orlando in general implode. And did anyone think New York would have this many wins this early? the kings, the bulls, the mavs, and the hawks all look terrible. The west is all kinds of fascinating early on. I don't see anyone beating Golden State for the top spot but the rest will be a blood bath. The twin Towers in New Orleans are playing well. WELL. Minnesota is looking pretty good to very good. The Clippers might be the best Patrick Ewing Theory Candidates in a long time (Doing better after their star left) and Houston is firing on all cylinders and Paul hasn't even played. I'll say this though, Houston to me is the least threatening team in the west. They're going to be gaudy and have a high seed (possibly 2nd) but neither Paul nor Harden have proved anything in the post season. We'll see if they can do something together. I'm inclined to say they won't. But I'm certainly prepared for the possibility of being way wrong. Portland isn't rebounding well IMO and that upsets me. Their good defense could be temporary or it could be legit. I'm kind of thrilled so far, a few of the losses have been head-scratching but overall I say we look pretty respectable. San Antonio is playing well in Leonard's absence with Aldridge picking up the slack in a big way early on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted November 11, 2017 Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 Wayman Tisdale was the greatest jazz bass guitarist ever to play in the NBA. He just went through a lot of injuries before realizing he loved making music a lot more than he loved playing basketball. Has it really been ten years since the Blazers passed on Kevin Durant to get Greg Oden? At the time the decision seemed to make perfect sense -- provided the information Oden's people were providing teams about their player's health was accurate, it wasn't. Oden was damaged goods coming in. If the Blazers had known that, they might well have passed on the big man in favor of Durant. Imagine a young Big 3 of Durant, Lamarcus Aldridge at the 4, and Brandon Roy at the 2 while it would have lasted. That roster could have taken Portland on some deep playoff runs. Ah, what might have been.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted November 11, 2017 Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 Give Lonzo Ball a break. He is (possibly) Jason Kidd. Kidd had a 36% shooting percentage his first 3 years in the league. When he started he was a year and a half older than Lonzo ( who is surprisingly mature despite his idiot father). Kidd had a hall of fame career and developed a shot several years into his career. Also, he developed a dangerous 3 point range with the last few years of his career. Michael Hopcroft 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted November 11, 2017 Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 On 11/8/2017 at 8:30 AM, Pariah said: Well, getting arrested for shoplifting in China will certainly make you famous. On 11/8/2017 at 10:05 AM, Enforcer84 said: I saw that. And laughed my butt off. On 11/8/2017 at 2:49 PM, Enforcer84 said: LaVar ball is the very public face of all those asshole sports parents (or pageant parent or child actor parent) stereotypes. His kids are going to have to deal with that their adult lives and I don't suspect it will be pretty for them. Some get through it, and Lonzo seems to be one of those who will - from what I've read. I don't find it amusing at all to see a father play games like this with his children's futures. The Chinese would have been well within their rights to put father and son on the first plane back to LA and let UCLA figure out how to deal with this mess. The school is being embarrassed -- heck, they look like a laughingstock right now. Is a poorly disciplined one-and-done player worth the hassle? NBA teams are watching this situation too. They all have personnel guys and scouts who are trained to evaluate every facet of guys who might want to go on their teams. Some of these guys are pretty fallible. Burt all of them have to be wondering what sorts of headaches this kid brings with him to the 2018 draft. If I'm the Lakers, do I want to double-down on the Ball brand knowing that I will have a boatload of cap room and plenty of money to throw at a free agent list that might well include Lebron James? If I'm another team, is bringing in LaMelo, and the publicity that comes along with it, worth the headache of dealing with LaVar and the messes that come along with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hopcroft Posted November 11, 2017 Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 4 minutes ago, Starlord said: Give Lonzo Ball a break. He is (possibly) Jason Kidd. Kidd had a 36% shooting percentage his first 3 years in the league. When he started he was a year and a half older than Lonzo ( who is surprisingly mature despite his idiot father). Kidd had a hall of fame career and developed a shot several years into his career. Also, he developed a dangerous 3 point range with the last few years of his career. Kidd also had a Basketball IQ that was off the charts, and I still think he was a better head coach than he got credit for. You could do much worse as a model for an NBA career than Jason Kidd, and a player like that is definitely going to be an asset for your team. Lonzo himself (as opposed to dear old Dad) has not done or said anything to indicate that he would put in anything less than his best effort, that he was taking anything for granted, and that he had a higher priority than developing as a professional basketball player and winning games. He has been working hard, listening to his coaches, and doing what he is asked. We don't know yet what he will become. For all we know, it could be something terrifying. Imagine the unthinkable happening, and the Lakers signing Lebron James in 2018. The media frequently cite it as a possible destination, and they'd love a new edition of the Showtime Lakers. What would this mean for Lonzo Ball? Lebron is perhaps the only person in basketball with the persona and force of personality to push Dad out of the story once and for all. The question becomes what does he do with -- or to -- the younger player. It might be every kid with a ball's dream to play alongside LeBron James, but if you want to keep up you'll have to lift your game to places it's never been before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 11, 2017 Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 9 minutes ago, Starlord said: Give Lonzo Ball a break. He is (possibly) Jason Kidd. Kidd had a 36% shooting percentage his first 3 years in the league. When he started he was a year and a half older than Lonzo ( who is surprisingly mature despite his idiot father). Kidd had a hall of fame career and developed a shot several years into his career. Also, he developed a dangerous 3 point range with the last few years of his career. Well, despite some similarities in early rookie season, I wouldn't put him in that category. He has been epically bad in shooting, which does have to be of some concern. You can be a bad shot and still find a role, but you cant be 29% bad. However, the rest of his game does seem fairly steady and competent. He'll make plenty of mistakes, but rookies have that tendency. I am not really for or against him, a #2 pick is going to make enough money for several lifetimes, if he isn't a complete idiot and spends money like a gov't agency. But, I am of the "don't call a guy a bust because of a rookie season" (especially the first 1/8 of a rookie season) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2017 15 hours ago, Starlord said: Give Lonzo Ball a break. He is (possibly) Jason Kidd. Kidd had a 36% shooting percentage his first 3 years in the league. When he started he was a year and a half older than Lonzo ( who is surprisingly mature despite his idiot father). Kidd had a hall of fame career and developed a shot several years into his career. Also, he developed a dangerous 3 point range with the last few years of his career. Yeah but 36% is still higher than ball. Kid could hit free throws, and he was ball handling/passing wizard, rebounded like and animal and was an incredible defender from the gate. Ball is a surprisingly shaky ball handler for a point guard (and I'm now hearing rumblings that he was in college as well and it was conveniently overlooked) and his defense isn't there yet (Though he's a tall and a good shot blocker) I want him to succeed in spite of his father. I want him to fail because he's a Laker. This is the battle in my head. If we want to look at the Rookies in a different light, The Celtics fleeced the 76ers for the #3 Pick and whatever else they got as Fultz has looked horrible and hurt. Like Ball we'll have to give him more than a month but the #3 pick Jason Tatum has looked more than Solid (but he's a Dukie so I hope he dies in a fire....I have issues dammit!) and even without Gordon Hayward the Celts look phenomenal this year. Josh Jackson is playing for Phoenix and given the team's youth and turmoil Good for him. De'Aaron Fox isn't starting in Sacramento (well he's started 2 of his 11 games) But he is showing signs of being the future on Team Turmoil. It's possible the absence of Cousins and the the moving on of certain veterans will give Sacto a team of talented crazy youngsters that will be fun to watch. Lauri Markkanen is a bright spot in a dreary bulls season Frank Ntiliknia has been pretty ok when he's played. Zach Collins could be a miss for Portland but given how long we've stuck with Miles Leonard I think we won't know for a while while Caleb Swanegan has been pretty serviceable. This was supposed to be a really talented class. And I think there will be growing pains but it's shaping up that way. Though the Lakers may be praising their second round pick more than their second overall pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 4 hours ago, Enforcer84 said: Yeah but 36% is still higher than ball. Kid could hit free throws, and he was ball handling/passing wizard, rebounded like and animal and was an incredible defender from the gate. Ball is a surprisingly shaky ball handler for a point guard (and I'm now hearing rumblings that he was in college as well and it was conveniently overlooked) and his defense isn't there yet (Though he's a tall and a good shot blocker) I want him to succeed in spite of his father. I want him to fail because he's a Laker. This is the battle in my head. If we want to look at the Rookies in a different light, The Celtics fleeced the 76ers for the #3 Pick and whatever else they got as Fultz has looked horrible and hurt. Like Ball we'll have to give him more than a month but the #3 pick Jason Tatum has looked more than Solid (but he's a Dukie so I hope he dies in a fire....I have issues dammit!) and even without Gordon Hayward the Celts look phenomenal this year. Josh Jackson is playing for Phoenix and given the team's youth and turmoil Good for him. De'Aaron Fox isn't starting in Sacramento (well he's started 2 of his 11 games) But he is showing signs of being the future on Team Turmoil. It's possible the absence of Cousins and the the moving on of certain veterans will give Sacto a team of talented crazy youngsters that will be fun to watch. Lauri Markkanen is a bright spot in a dreary bulls season Frank Ntiliknia has been pretty ok when he's played. Zach Collins could be a miss for Portland but given how long we've stuck with Miles Leonard I think we won't know for a while while Caleb Swanegan has been pretty serviceable. This was supposed to be a really talented class. And I think there will be growing pains but it's shaping up that way. Though the Lakers may be praising their second round pick more than their second overall pick. Actually while I hate Duke, myself, I pull for them, because my hate for UNC is that of a supernova. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 oh the whole state of NC can sod off as far as I'm concerned basketball wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Well Lozo Balled tonight. Youngest player to get a triple double, shot 7-12 had 12 rebounds 13 assists, 19 points, 3 steals and 4 blocks. A good night. Too bad they lost oh wait. No. That's great. LOSE LAKERS LOSE! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 If I cared, I would look up to see if Stephen A Smith calls triple-doubles overrated. ( I guess they can be but that shouldn't be started because "Lonzo did it") Ok, I freely admit, I just wanted to trash Smith. I'm sometimes petty that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer84 Posted November 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 Smith is annoying but is former loudmouth-mate was worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 37 minutes ago, Enforcer84 said: Smith is annoying but is former loudmouth-mate was worse. Yeah, good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starlord Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 I'm ok with Duke because I like Coach Crizeezooski. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 THat might me the most butchered I've seen his name. I salute you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Posted November 12, 2017 Report Share Posted November 12, 2017 My dad did love the Laettner years. He hates UNC more than me. And he had a lot UNC fan co-workers. So, he thoroughly enjoyed how the mere mention of Laettner would send his co-workers rabid. COurse, another year, he bought one of those co-workers a little towel with the logo of the team that beat the Tarheels in the tournament. Note: My dad being a Va Tech, has admitted he pretty much has to live vicariously through other teams in college basketball, usually Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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