DRAFT TALK Thread: Looking Like Lonzo

Interesting. Fox comes in, gets lunch, then everyone heads in for a private workout with Jackson. For those counting, that's two workouts for Jackson and one for Fox and Ball.

 

So De'Aaron Fox's dad is Aaron Fox.

 

Things definitely getting serious in LA. Fox comes in, Jackson 2.0, and now Fultz coming in too. Let's see if Ball gets the second workout.

 

Seems like a contender. Got the same treatment Lonzo did.

 

Minus the dinner with the Buss siblings.

 

The more legwork Magic & Pelinka do on all of these prospects, the more I'm inclined to trust their ultimate decision. Glad they didn't go all in on Lonzo or anyone else when we kept the pick. Get as much info as you can to make an informed decision.

We'll see where it all leads. Smart money's still on Lonzo.

 

The big one: Kansas vs. Kentucky

- This is probably the quintessential Jackson game. He shows off his defense, his passing, and was as aggressive and effective offensively as you'll probably see against a good opponent. He knocked down a couple threes early in the 2nd half and that changed everything about how Kentucky played defense for a while. He wasn't afraid to mix it up with Adebayo underneath at times and he really took advantage of Gabriel.

- Jackson showed off a bit more ability to create a shot for himself with a couple nifty moves to get free. The problem is, defenses play him on the drive once he gets moving, so getting free isn't the hard part. The hard part is knocking down the wide open shot when he gets it. I believe he went 1-4 or 1-5 in pull up shots he created in this game. He has a simple, but effective, crossover move he uses to get open but after that he has a hard time finishing. He doesn't finish well through contact moving laterally and his pullup game is incredibly inconsistent. He shot an airball, hit the front of the rim, bricked off the backboard, and clanked off the side. His mechanics are inconsistent which really leads to what is essentially a knuckleball jumper.

- The jumper is inconsistent as all hell, but if/when it falls the game opens up for him in a huge way. He is able to find lanes and drive effectively. His passing comes through with nice drive and dishes or drive and kicks to open guys. If he can hit shots at the next level, even mid-range shots, he'll have a great future.

- Defensively he was solid again. Once again he showed some trepidation against quickness. Fox was a tough cover for him a few times as Jackson usually uses his leaping ability to make up for getting beat. I'm not sure how he'll fair against NBA quickness on the perimeter as a guard.

- Jackson is rangy and willing to close out to shooters. He drifts a lot defensively, but still finds ways to affect the opposing offense.

- You can't praise Ball for being unselfish and not point out that Jackson is quick to give up the ball too. He doesn't play for the assist every time, he's more than willing to pass the ball to make the right play. He passes the ball, not to get it back, but to make the right play.

- Frank Mason III continued to look solid. He doesn't make many mistakes and in fact took it to Fox a few times. I like Mason III a lot.

- I think a lot of the issue with Fox is he doesn't understand how to play at different speeds. When he attacks it's at 100 mph and he ends up caught against the glass or out of position. Many passes he throws are a little outside of the right spot because he's forcing it too quickly. His jumper ends up rushed and inconsistent. He is persistent defensively, but he is so quick to jump out of position that he ends up getting beat at times. Frank Mason III shouldn't be able to beat him to the rim more than once in a game. There's some great shell work to play with here, but he needs work. He'll get by on effort though, that's for sure. The kid is going to work his tail off on the floor.

 

Fox taking shots at Ball's conditioning (or not, but maybe).

 

http://lakerfilmroom.com/looking-lonzo-balls-weaknesses-wrong/

Piece on some of Ball's offensive "weaknesses".

 

Exactly. I remember Mitch mentioning this year after year when asked why he and the FO work out so many players that will likely be late firsts or might not even be drafted and Mitch said it was to form a relationship and to gather intel that could be real beneficial in the future. Who knows, maybe one of these no name guys get drafted in the late 2nd round and develops into something the Lakers Brass already has all these data on him and in the future can compare that to today.

Being ultra prepared is never a bad thing.

 

"I'm a fighter and even if I'm tired and have my hands on my knees, you're still going to get the most out of me."