Josh Jackson after all the happy "character" talk from Magic and company plus same position as BI and PG??? When did Ramona start smoking it?
so is everyone on this page mostly on the Ball train? me personally, i think any of those 4 players would help our squad a lot and would be happy with any of them
I think there's probably a group 100% on the Ball train. There's a group that thinks like you do, but leans one way or the other. There's a group that hates Ball, finds him either threatening or annoying or both or just doesn't like him for some reason. Personally, I think Ball is the best among the top players for what the Lakers have and what the Lakers need. If they go with any of the other kids, I'll trust the move because they see these kids up close and are more likely to know what makes them tick than I am. I was all in on Okafor based on what I saw on the court in college. Obviously what everyone else saw behind the scenes was something much different and the Lakers made the right choice.
I'm in the Showtime part deux camp. Closest thing to Magic to come along for the Lakers since Magic. We have the athletes and lots of skilled players that he should make much better as well as be perfect for what Luke wants the team to buy into with ball movement. Do it Mit ....Magic.
I'm on the Ball train but also on the feel-incredibly-fortunate-to-be-in-this-position-considering-where-we-were-2-weeks-ago-so-I'm-good-with-any-of-top-four-prospects-of-Fultz-Ball-Fox-Jackson train.
If Boston plans on throwing the max at Isaiah, they're not playing him at the 2. Fultz is all but a certainty there. Now, if the Celt's performance without him is telling management differently and there's a character issue we are not privy to, Ball is an outside possibility. Lonzo is our pick. As he develops, talent will want to be on the floor with him. Just the way it works.
And one the that did (in monumental fashion) will be making the pick for us this draft. That's why I think Magic Johnson does not pass up on Ball, Fox's impressive modern-day PG skillset (minus 3 pointers) and athleticism aside. Yeah Lonzo's got questions about his D but he's long and he'll at least be a good team defender. And if we can always improve in that area, if DAR doesn't fit the mold as a combo guard with a 2 way game he can be moved easily. It doesn't hurt that Team Ball pledged their allegiance to the Purple & Gold long before the pick dropped from the sky into Magic's lap I might add. He and Rob are religious men too. Unless the C-Bags pass on Fultz (totally fine) the way this pick has apparently dropped into our hands seems like fate. I actually think Magic and Rob see it that way too.
On the Ball train, because of upside. I have to admit i've seen little to nothing of anyone but Fultz and Ball, so on anyone else I go by what you all have been saying. I also concede most criticisms about Ball. But he COULD be transcendent. I would risk him being a bust and passing up on a solid talent for that potential in this case.
i'm on the "good with whatever the FO does" bandwagon. i don't think people should be falling in love with one prospect right now. the lakers have shown recently that they will go against the chalk in these situations. i'm good with moving the pick. i'm good with drafting jackson or even fox or tatum if front office is blown away. probably the only thing i don't want to see is moving the pick for two lower picks (like, for example, sac's 5 and 10). we have plenty of youth here. then again, if the FO does that, moves 5 for an allstar and keeps 10 for a guy they like...that could be great, too. i'll echo the "just happy to be here" sentiment. but i'm certainly not on the ball-only train.
I'm not good with drafting Jackson. We really want to add a young guy to this already mentally fragile group that has to attend anger management? No thanks. I'm good with Ball, Fox, ok with Fultz, and good with maybe a few others if we trade down to get them. But if we are selecting at 2, I don't see how it's not Ball or Fultz. Almost anyone else we can swap picks with 4 or 5 to get who we'd want and get some other asset in the process. No Josh Jackson though, please, what a horrible fit.
It has to be Ball or Fultz. I don't think DLO is going to last. Still a good chance that Boston could trade their pick. It was pointed out on a sports show today that they could look for an experienced front court player like Boogie Cousins. If the Celitcs take Fultz, I'd be interested to see if they will pay Isaiah $200M on his next contract. I don't think they will.
Nice read on Ball's strengths/weaknesses, NBA projection, & how he'd fit with the Lakers: 2017 NBA Draft Prospect Profiles: Will Lonzo Ball justify LaVar Ball’s hype? Does he fit on the Lakers? http://nba.nbcsports.com/2017/05/24...y-lavar-balls-hype-does-he-fit-on-the-lakers/
That was a good read. Didn't necessarly learn anything new but there its a lot of content going over the strengths and weaknesses and do our current players have the ability to cover those half court scoring issues. Besides the players- Ingram and Russell covering up these issues like the article suggest will happen I think Luke's system on offense only helps this weakness because when our offense is really humming in the half court it will be players moving, constantly cutting, and the ball moving side to side. We likely won't be there fully next year but eventually all these pieces will click.
This is not the NFL. Trading down and stock piling picks won't work. It's even worse now a days in the NBA because you have one and downs who need 4 years to get to a level of consistency and even then most aren't title leading players anyways.
trading down works in drafts wherein there's a lot of relatively equivalent projected talent. like this one.