It’s probably best to keep Lonzo so there is a facilitator for the new stars, but Kuz is still my favorite.
Close choice between Lonzo or Ingram because : - Lonzo seems to be the best fit of all the kids next to superstars with the ways he's impacting the game - BI cause there are really only 3 positions in today's NBA , PG , wing and center . You are in great position as a team if you can have 3 talented guys between 6'8 , 6'9 in your lineup. BI with 2 of Kawhi , George , Lebron would be insane.
I’m going with ZO because he’s the straw the stirs the drink. I love all our young guys for different reasons. I think right now BI is ahead of ZO on development but he’s older also. Kuz has that mamba mentality. He’s going to be a great player. Randle has grown into a beast this year. I want to keep them all. I understand you have to give to get but I’d be VERY particular on the few players I would trade them for. A one year rental is not a move I’m willing to make.
I hate this question. Zo has the highest ceiling out of our young guys, so if I'm staring down the barrel of a gun, I'll take Zo. I still hate this question.
That’s why I put the question out there We might have some tough decisions coming soon, and there really might be just one of the young core left at that point
Magic and Rob and Luke are smarter than that IMO ... to ship them all out except just one or even just two. And of course I know what "opinions" are like.
This isn't that hard of a question for me. It's BI. His jump from year one to year two was exactly what you hoped to see. He's going into his third year, but age wise is the same as many in their second year. He can play multiple positions on offense and defense. He seems to be the epitome of a team first guy with no distractions sneaking in from the outside. Ingram . . . Kuzma . Randle . . Ball
I'm going with Ingram. I think his ceiling is Kevin Durant. I can't wait for the kid to put on more weight and get stronger. He will be a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. I really like Lonzo and he would be 1(a) for me. I'll be curious how he reacts this summer to the season he just had. I hope he works his tail end off. It's so tough because I REALLY like both Randle and Kuzma. Kuzma needs to work on his D though.
Lonzo. Ingram made a nice jump from his rookie season... Lonzo had a better rookie year than Ingram, so... Ingram will be great though... as soon as he discovers PED's his career will sky rocket.
I still don't know for sure who I would vote for but let me make a case for Lonzo here. How many times this year during games would we say that he's getting close to a triple double or double double and it was always the points that were tough for him to get. My point is that he can really effect the game in so many ways without having to score. This would be critical if we already had a PG and LBJ or Kwahi on the team because the ball can't be in everyone's hands and you need players who can affect the game in a myriad of ways like ball can from his ability to rebound, move the ball, and get deflections on defense. Not to say that Ingram and his physical abilities (length and reach) can't do these things, but a guy like Kuzma who is a natural scorer doesn't do as many of these things and I love Kuz. Kuz is learning and we already saw improvement to end the year where he's getting better defensively. I still don't know who I would vote for but this case above here is kind of the point LFR made in his recent podcast about Kwahi and one that I can see and sort of agree with. If we have more than one superstar coming to our team we needs guys who don't leave a big footprint on the court and can make little difference here and there. A guy like Josh Hart, who just does his job well. Not a high usage rate.
Ingram's transition from his rookie to sophomore years really solidified his untouchable status for me. His improved jumper, his ability to read the floor and get to where he wants, running the offense, his underrated defense. He looked comfortable out there, and that's what you want out of a player. He may never be a bigger player, like KD, but he can still find ways to be effective and efficient because he's such a smart player. Zo is right there with him. His natural basketball sense is only matched by few in this league. The kid is just a smart basketball player, and when he starts to find his shot and confidence around the rim, he's really going to start to turn heads. But for now, Ingram is ahead of Zo in that department. Kuz and Randle are guys that will be needed around, but not to build around. Kuz is an exceptionally gifted offensive player, and Randle is so dynamic with his game, he has the ability to change games when he is zeroed in.
Without a question Ingram. He has the highest ceiling and actually has shown to be able to make a big jump year 1 to year 2. Lonzo has a few red flags...45% FT shooting, Lavar Ball, shooting in general, injury prone, not aggressive offensively. He might fix the injury part or his offensive aggressiveness but I'm not hopeful he will suddenly turn into an 80% FT shooter or Lavar will all of a sudden shut up.
Lavar isn't a weakness, he's nothing. He's media fodder. Players like him and Luke has had no real problems with him. Lonzo ignores him. I don't think it's really fair to say Ingram over Lonzo because Ingram made a jump from rookie to sophomore season when Lonzo hasn't had the opportunity yet. I mean that's life, life isn't fair, I just don't think it's the best argument for Ingram/against Lonzo. The best argument is the mentality you brought up. Ingram has never shied away from physicality and has embraced opportunities. Right now Lonzo is a little too willing to let the stream take him where he's going and Magic said as much in his exit interview. It's up to Lonzo (and all the kids) to take their craft seriously and take steps in the right directions on their own. If Lonzo is going to be great, he needs to take on more responsibility. That to me is what separates the two the most. That being said, Lonzo's efficiency should increase dramatically next season and when it does, he'll be by far the better player. An off-season of hard work and confidence building should bring him back to his college efficiency or near it. He shot 67% or so from the line in college. He shot 55% overall from the field. I don't expect him to jump 20% in every category, but he should certainly be much better when we see him on the court again.
I mean .... I hate what this thread does to us with having to pick in the first place. But with Lonzo getting that chance over the summer to improve like BI did and being that they are basically the same age .... how can you make a flat statement that Zo will be a far better player than BI .... if BI takes as big a leap forward in summer #2 as he did in summer #1?
