DRAFT TALK Thread: Looking Like Lonzo

I've spent the last couple days watching Fultz stuff. We've focused now on Ball and Fox and I've already started to overlook this kid. What I saw:

- One of the most natural scorers I've seen out of college in a while. He has an ability to cut, slash, and get to the rim effortlessly. He's drawn comparisons to Lillard in that aspect although I think the way he does it is more like Lillard's partner McCollum. Lillard is a little more explosive in tight spaces while Fultz (and McCollum) use their size, length, and body positioning to get to the rim. Besides his ability to get inside, Fultz is a shot maker. He can hit jumpers anywhere from 16 feet in. He has fantastic body control and an ability to really find an angle over or around the defender. He's taller and bigger than most guards and he does a great job of maintaining focus through the play.

- He has no weaknesses offensively. He can shoot (although I'm not sure he has NBA range), he can pass, he can drive, he can spot-up, he can pull-up, he can cut, he can throw a lob, he can catch a lob, he can push in transition, he can run a play from the point. You name it, he can do it offensively. It's one of the more impressive all-around offensive packages I've seen from a kid his age. He can do it all.

- While he is a shot maker and a scorer, his jumper is very deliberate. You could see Lonzo catch up to one of his jumpers in that first video and that'll happen a bit in the NBA. Fultz gets a little too predictable when he starts to rock back and forth. A good defender will be able to read that and get to his jumper because it takes a little too long to release. It's fairly easy to adjust away from that, but it's something he'll work on early in his career.

- He is a very opportunistic defender. You don't see a lot of focus in one-on-one situations, but he has a pretty natural feel for rotating to the ball defensively. He'll get weak-side blocks and steals in the NBA.

Now the bad stuff

- His effort runs at a constant 75-80 out there. It's a huge problem to me. If you don't like Randle's inconsistent motor, this one is baffling. With all the talent he has, it's frustrating seeing him loaf it out there at times. Part of that is absolutely because his teammates were awful and maybe he was tired of carrying them, but it leads to the next point.

- How competitive is he? The third video shows one of the rare times he showed urgency on the court. His laid back style of play means he consistently lets games get out of control. In that respect he's like D'Angelo, but (in my opinion) worse. It's sometimes an unfair cliche to say "great players find a way" in team sports, but he really doesn't put his stamp on the game enough. Sure he goes out and collects these great stats, but look at the score in most of his game-by-game highlight videos and the points continue to mount against his team. Could he single-handedly bring them a win? Maybe not, but you'd hope he could try and his own game doesn't change at all regardless of the score. The great players in the game feel a game slipping away and try to stem the tide by either rallying the troops (Ball) or hustling their tails off to get it back themselves (Fox). This to me is the absolute biggest red flag about him and it's the thing that gives me most pause. Ball and Fox had astronomically different talent levels around them, but they still carried those teams to wins at times. Can Fultz? Specifically for this Laker team that makes him a horrid fit. Fultz's best landing spot is Boston. It's possible he gets to the NBA and this all changes, but we can only go off of what we see and what I see is a kid who doesn't want it as bad as Ball and Fox.

- He has very good vision and passing ability, but that's not his thing. In that aspect he's very much like D'Angelo although I think D'Angelo is a better passer (Fultz is possibly a better scorer given his athleticism). Fultz projects as a prototypical combo guard, but he is 100% more of a scorer than a passer. While he can run an offense, it's hardly his strength. Putting him next to D'Angelo would be basically having two D'Angelo's with one shooting better and one slashing better. The rest of the team might never see the ball. It would be a lot like what Portland has, but are Fultz and Russell enough to carry you to a ring (are Lillard and McCollum?)? I'm not sold.

 

If someone's floor is Iggy, that's a fantastic player.

 

Good post. I agree that Fultz has a polished offensive game, but that motor... It's the one thing that frustrates me with DLo, and I can imagine myself yelling at the pair of them to hustle up if they played together.

 

I think there's a lot about Fox to remind one of Rondo, but he's a far better FT shooter, and that bodes well for his chances of developing a three-point shot.

 

I'm not for Fultz for all the reasons you listed. I can't take another young guy on this team who doesn't give %100. It's maddening enough that we have Randle and Russ that don't already. I'd be more for Ball for his ability to run an offense and constantly keep everyone involved and make other players better, or for Fox and his defense, speed, and crazy motor.

 

Jesse Mermuys is coaching one of these scrimmage teams at the combine. So that's pretty rad dude bros.

 

One of my favorite wings in the draft.

 

Watching Fox being interviewed at the combine. I really, really like this kid.

 

This kid could be special... Lonzo could slip for me with more quotes like this.

 

I'd be surprised if Anunoby slid, but he does have some injury history... I expect him to go in the teens, but if he slid to us all the way to 28, you take him and run like you stole something.