(02-14-2018 01:29 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 12:29 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 12:26 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  After LaVar Ball's latest delusional comments, don't the Lakers need to start formulating a Lonzo Ball exit strategy?

I would think they already have one. With the rapid flow of information today, though, you can't start discussing possible Ball trades with other teams until you're ready to do it, because those discussions will leak out.

LaVar Ball is as bad as some of the terrible helicopter parents of pro tennis players. But pro tennis is an individual sport, and pro basketball is not.

My impression is the Lakers generally ignore LaVar, and that's the right thing to do. He's basically a Kardashian and should be treated as such.

Yup. LaVar is a wannabe Kris Jenner.

(02-14-2018 01:29 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  I don't know if there is or should be an exit strategy for Lonzo, but if they have one (or develop one) I've got to imagine it'll be more because of his terrible shot than his clown of a dad. This is not the right time in the NBA for point guards who can't score.

That is true. But given Lonzo's other skills, it's worth waiting a couple of years to see if he becomes more consistent offensively. Jason Kidd couldn't shoot as an NBA rookie, either, and he's going to be elected to the Hall of Fame this year.

(02-14-2018 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 01:29 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 12:29 PM)Wedge Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 12:26 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  After LaVar Ball's latest delusional comments, don't the Lakers need to start formulating a Lonzo Ball exit strategy?

I would think they already have one. With the rapid flow of information today, though, you can't start discussing possible Ball trades with other teams until you're ready to do it, because those discussions will leak out.

LaVar Ball is as bad as some of the terrible helicopter parents of pro tennis players. But pro tennis is an individual sport, and pro basketball is not.

My impression is the Lakers generally ignore LaVar, and that's the right thing to do. He's basically a Kardashian and should be treated as such.

Yup. LaVar is a wannabe Kris Jenner.

(02-14-2018 01:29 PM)Brookes Owl Wrote:  I don't know if there is or should be an exit strategy for Lonzo, but if they have one (or develop one) I've got to imagine it'll be more because of his terrible shot than his clown of a dad. This is not the right time in the NBA for point guards who can't score.

That is true. But given Lonzo's other skills, it's worth waiting a couple of years to see if he becomes more consistent offensively.

I agree, and I think the Lakers are willing to do so. Let's face it, you can't give up on a #2 overall draft pick this quickly. And he's a good kid who by all accounts works hard and has a great attitude. IF they do eventually give up, it'll be because of his performance on the court, not his dad.

(02-14-2018 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  That is true. But given Lonzo's other skills, it's worth waiting a couple of years to see if he becomes more consistent offensively. Jason Kidd couldn't shoot as an NBA rookie, either, and he's going to be elected to the Hall of Fame this year.

We all remember the _ason Kidd joke. The difference is that there is little room in the NBA for someone to grow their game. We'll see what Lonzo does this off-season

(02-14-2018 07:43 PM)vandiver49 Wrote:  

(02-14-2018 01:46 PM)Wedge Wrote:  That is true. But given Lonzo's other skills, it's worth waiting a couple of years to see if he becomes more consistent offensively. Jason Kidd couldn't shoot as an NBA rookie, either, and he's going to be elected to the Hall of Fame this year.

We all remember the _ason Kidd joke. The difference is that there is little room in the NBA for someone to grow their game. We'll see what Lonzo does this off-season

Yeah, I'm not saying Lonzo is going to improve as much as Kidd, and while Lonzo has good point guard skills and solid defense, I'm also not saying that those skills are at Kidd's level. Lonzo's challenge is to improve his offense enough so that the coach doesn't feel compelled to sit him in crunch time because the team needs to have someone who can score on the court. If he can't do that, then his eventual ceiling is either starting on a lottery team or playing backup point guard on a good team.

And ESPN's website has a new Lakers/Lonzo article this morning:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22450...ather-team

Among other tidbits in this article, it raises the question (without being blunt about it) of whether LaVar is financing his Kardashian-esque adventures with Lonzo's money.

Quote:Take, for example, the $5.2 million house the family bought in Chino Hills, referred to as the "Ball Estate" in the Facebook Watch show "Ball in the Family." Property records show it was purchased by an LLC in August and transferred into Lonzo Ball's name in late December. That LLC's name? Family Always Matters.

When asked whose house it was, Lonzo Ball said it was his dad's.

But property records show it in your name?

"Who knows?" Lonzo Ball said, walking away. "All I know is that they live there."

Quote:"Who knows?" Lonzo Ball said, walking away. "All I know is that they live there."

Yep - sounds like Lonzo is letting his dad manage his money. And we know how that can turn out.

There was a lot of interesting stuff in the article about how the Lakers are managing their relationship with LaVar. They're not ignoring him - they're just not debating his crap in public. Fascinating that Big Baller's problems are bleeding into the Lakers brand, with people calling the front office to complain about shoes, etc, and that's stuff the Lakers CANNOT ignore.

If Lonzo doesn't turn out to be a star, the Lakers can decline their club option after his second season and let him become a free agent. Hope for his sake that if that happens, the $13 million paid out by the Lakers over those two years hasn't all been spent by LaVar by the time Lonzo becomes a free agent.

(02-15-2018 11:28 AM)Wedge Wrote:  And ESPN's website has a new Lakers/Lonzo article this morning:

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22450...ather-team

Among other tidbits in this article, it raises the question (without being blunt about it) of whether LaVar is financing his Kardashian-esque adventures with Lonzo's money.

Quote:Take, for example, the $5.2 million house the family bought in Chino Hills, referred to as the "Ball Estate" in the Facebook Watch show "Ball in the Family." Property records show it was purchased by an LLC in August and transferred into Lonzo Ball's name in late December. That LLC's name? Family Always Matters.

When asked whose house it was, Lonzo Ball said it was his dad's.

But property records show it in your name?

"Who knows?" Lonzo Ball said, walking away. "All I know is that they live there."

Was there any doubt that this was the case? MOre over, you know LeVar has taken out loans against Lonzo's potential earnings prior to his son being drafted by the Lakers.

(09-29-2017 02:14 PM)Wedge Wrote:  The NBA passed a (mild) change to its draft lottery rules that (mildly) discourages teams from tanking to improve their draft position.

Well at the 2018 All Star Break the Tankathon is in full mode. And unfortunately my team, the Memphis Grizzlies, are in full participation mode which is especially painful since we have the third longest current playoff season streak (7) in the NBA. The bottom six teams, one of which is us, has only 18 wins. After all those competitive playoff years, this year is, as I said, very painful. We have a couple of good second rounders from last season, Dillion Brooks and Ivan Rabb, that are developing nicely plus hopefully we'll have Mike Conley, our best player, back by camp as well as Marc Gasol and a healthy(?) Chandler Parsons. Anyhow I do have a lot of fun playing around on this site:

http://www.tankathon.com/

think the writing's on the wall for kawhi

(03-06-2018 07:14 AM)Lush Wrote:  think the writing's on the wall for kawhi

Another team will take a chance on Kawhi because his talent level is so high. Though any team would be concerned about a player who is one of the best-paid players in the league, and has been cleared to play by the team's medical staff but then says, "I don't agree, I'll just continue to rehab for a few more months."

And next season is the last on Kawhi's contract, so any team that trades for him either has to accept him as a one-year rental or be willing to give him a new long-term deal at over $30 million/year.

i'd hate to lose him as a spurs fan, but i don't think he wants to be there anymore

http://www.nba.com/games/20180322/MEMCHA#/video

Hornets dump the Grizz 140-79.

WDF is up with the Grizz.... they are usually challenging teams for a Western Conference playoff spot.... this year seems like a total meltdown.

You rarely see anyone, let alone a bad team, drop 140 points.

(03-22-2018 08:32 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  You rarely see anyone, let alone a bad team, drop 140 points.

That is stunning considering both are actively tanking. How were the Griz able to do it so much better is the real question.

Charlotte took their foot off the gas. They "only" scored 28 in the fourth quarter.

The Hornets aren't trying to tank, they got a lot of so so players and bad contracts. I'd still contend though, that with the team's current talent there is no way they should be at home during the playoffs.

Quote:Charlotte's 140-79 victory is the first 60-point or greater win for any NBA team since 1998 and only the sixth in league history.

Also, Memphis has achieved the 76ers "trust the process" level of tanking...

Quote:The Grizzlies have won only once since the All-Star break and have lost 22 of their past 23 games overall.

Hey you guys, LiAngelo Ball is making himself available for the NBA draft!

What an exciting development for whichever team wins the NBA draft lottery!

What are you talking about? The Lakers are obviously going to trade whatever they can to get that pick. They certainly don't want LaVar to pull Lonzo from the Lakers when he's a free agent!