Either way it shouldn't bother anyone on this board. Most of us aren't some bandwagon fanboys. We can make our own observations regardless of what the media says. The eye test tells me Lonzo is a beast. Not the hype.
Yes, it's a turn-off for a player who doesn't necessarily need all the hype, and you know why? Because he's going to be a solid basketball player irrespective of what anyone thinks. The "face of the franchise" rhetoric is a little too soon for a 19 year old prospect who has had done nothing to earn it yet.
I was hyped for dlo/ingram but seeing their slow starts n issues i no longer hold that standard to ball, however all this face of franchise, savior, magic stuff makes me expect way more from ball n when i don't see it right away makes it worse but thats a me thing, i was never a big fan of kidd either, i never paid much attention to kidds triple double either when its like 10/10/10
you can't be missing the irony here. not at all. but james was a ready made nba allstar from day one. it's only hype if there's less behind it than is suggested (at least that's the most common usage of the word). anyway, the real subtext to this poll is that the lonzo stuff is starting to make this a less pleasant place. we can all take some ownership in that and try engage sensibly on these issues and not get overly emotional about it. everyone wants ball to be good and the lakers to be good. nobody is rooting against either.
Agree... For the most part, posters on the subject have been even keeled about their opinions. For a franchise in need of a boost, the Ball pick has given it some. What remains to be seen is how it unfolds on the floor. I have taken into mind Ball's lack of a mid-range game, defensive intensity, how he fares on a half court set and how will he adjust to better talent/speed of the pro game.
Guys, remember we had a 46.9% chance of landing a Top 3 pick. We are blessed. I never forget these things. Lonzo could be heralded as The King of the West Before Birth for all I care.
What bothers me is that when I voice criticism of management, specifically regarding moving DAR and calling Ball the face of the franchise, I'm ridiculed. "Come on," and "Anyone who watches would see..." aren't even subtle digs. They're not clever or well-reasoned responses. They're simply meant to belittle and marginalized the view. Being able to voice my views without ridicule and with well-reasoned arguments even in the face of dosagreement is one of the things I love about this site and loved about CL. If the environment is different now, that's fine, but then this is just another Lakers site. And that would suck.
T, there is a difference between stating your, pessimistic I'd say, opinion and raining on a parade. I love you, man. Don't go all leftymo on me. I didn't like DAR move either, mostly due to its timing, but it shouldn't reflect on your opinion on Ball. You should be happy with a talented player with potential. Come on, how bad does he project in your numbers?
I'll post projections after summer league. I've always weighed them in rookie and sophomore stats. I think his assists will look very good. His scoring will be so-so. And his defensive numbers will take a season to know for sure, but I think they'll be bottom ten at his position. That's not just his shortcomings. LA's guards have had atrocious numbers the past three seasons.
Yeah the Russell trade and the Ball hype are both very polarizing. Losing Russell was a heartbreak. I wasn't even his supporter but I was saddened to see him shipped off like that. I wouldn't ridicule anyone for questioning the move. I understand the criticism. As for Ball, the hype may be unpleasant but the kid deserves a fair shake. I don't like how Magic is trying to paint him as Russell's replacement either. I don't think that's fair to either Ball or Russell. They are completely different players.
Will this poll that you've created cause you to root against Ball in any way in order to confirm your point?
He is a special player. Not the face of the franchise right now, but I truly feel he is going to be amazing for us. Him and Ingram.
I would wager that if you polled the entire fan base and not just this board, the "No" response would be an even higher percentage. I think a lot of casual fans are either excited about the hype, unaware of it, or don't care about it.
Is there a hype surrounding Lonzo? Absofreakinglutely. Draft night he had more mentions on Twitter than the rest of the draft class combined. Summer League sold out for the 1st time ever. ESPN and TMZ can't go a day without mentioning him or his dad. I give a lot of the hype to his dad. Maybe even 95% of it. So in that respect, I understand what Trodgers is saying. But I still feel his game will translate, in time, to warrant the hype. I think he's special. The IT factor. And he's exactly what this team needs. As for the face of the franchise comment by Magic -- I think it was a smart move. If he said Randle was the face, Ingram would defer to him. But it being Ball, I feel like Ingram will take him under his wing and lead, without the pressure of the designated team leader.
TR, not sure what you mean regarding all the hype being a "turn off." A turn off regarding wanting Lonzo to do well? A turn-off aimed at the media hype machine? A turn off of management's hype of Lonzo? A turn off regarding Lavar Ball? Unfortunately, it's the world we live in now. What does bother me is at the end of the day, it's a quiet young man just wanting to succeed at the game he loves to play. What does bother me comes from an empathy for that kid. The previously referenced hype puts an inordinate amount of pressure on Lonzo. To that, I wish all the hype mouths would just shut the eff up. I felt badly for D'Angelo when he was heralded as a transcendent passer coming out of OSU. I thought it messed with his head for the first half of the year before he found a bit of his footing. Magnify that hype by a hundred fold and we get an idea of what Lonzo is shouldering. Add to that the additional pressure on bringing a PG to L.A. with a highly visible Magic Johnson running the show. So, my first concern is for Lonzo. The success of the Lakers and their worldwide brand has been heaped upon him. That is my concern about all the hype, not how it affects me in terms of a turn off.
