Lonzo and his brother Chuck Cunningham and his other brother Chuck Cunningham

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
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Are his brothers legit NBA prospects? One of them? Neither?
Neither. The middle one, LiAngelo, was reportedly not even a D1 level player when he went to UCLA. The youngest, LaMelo, was thought of as a legit college prospect but I can't imagine him having a path to the NBA after everything that has happened.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Jan 15, 2004
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I'd take Lonzo over Rubio today in a coin flip as my PG and he's still 6-7 years from the start of his prime with only experience favoring Rubio, which is weighted heavily especially for this position. I'm not even a Lonzo lover but he's really being underrated around this board. Shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense......he's top tier of all PG's in 3 of these 4 categories as a 2nd year 21-year old and the easiest skill to improve upon is shooting. Combine an improved shot with added strength, experience, and confidence and this is why I have his ceiling pretty high. As has been noted, he's never going to reach his potential in LA with LeBron.....he needs his own team to form his own identity to touch his ceiling.
 
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HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
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I'd take Lonzo over Rubio today in a coin flip as my PG and he's still 6-7 years from the start of his prime with only experience favoring Rubio, which is weighted heavily especially for this position. I'm not even a Lonzo lover but he's really being underrated around this board. Shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense......he's top tier of all PG's in of these categories as a 2nd year 21-year old and the easiest skill to improve upon is shooting. Combine an improved shot with added strength, experience, and confidence and this is why I have his ceiling pretty high. As has been noted, he's never going to reach his potential in LA with LeBron.....he needs his own team to form his own identity to touch his ceiling.
Lonzo is a top tier shooting point guard?
 

Cesar Crespo

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Dec 22, 2002
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Rubio seemed like the most apt comp at the time of the draft based on Ball's skillset: long defender, good vision and passing, suspect shooting and lack of ability to create offense. That still sounds like him. He'll probably settle in for a long career as a middle of the pack PG. The kind of guy you're comfortable with as a starter but who you'd secretly wish you could upgrade from.
Fair comparison but there's one fatal flaw in Ball's game that Rubio doesn't have. Rubio is a career 84% FT shooter.
 

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
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I'd take Lonzo over Rubio today in a coin flip as my PG and he's still 6-7 years from the start of his prime with only experience favoring Rubio, which is weighted heavily especially for this position. I'm not even a Lonzo lover but he's really being underrated around this board. Shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense......he's top tier of all PG's in of these categories as a 2nd year 21-year old and the easiest skill to improve upon is shooting. Combine an improved shot with added strength, experience, and confidence and this is why I have his ceiling pretty high. As has been noted, he's never going to reach his potential in LA with LeBron.....he needs his own team to form his own identity to touch his ceiling.
A guy shooting 40/31/45 is top tier in shooting? You can’t just chalk everything up to SS or playing with LeBron; he’s played some NBA basketball and the results so far aren’t spectacular. Earlier you said Lonzo “has special written all over him” so to me it seems like you would be classified as a Lonzo lover but YMMV.
 

Kliq

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Fair comparison but there's one fatal flaw in Ball's game that Rubio doesn't have. Rubio is a career 84% FT shooter.
How can you expect him to hit free throws when he’s playing with LeBron? He needs his own team!
 

Cesar Crespo

79
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Dec 22, 2002
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How can you expect him to hit free throws when he’s playing with LeBron? He needs his own team!
I think he's a very flawed player but Ball really is a terrible fit next to LeBron. Ingram isn't much better. Their playmaking skills are under utilized and neither is that great at shooting.

I'm pretty high on Ingram and think he'll be a very good player but I'm not convinced Ball is better than Elfrid Payton.
 

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
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I think he's a very flawed player but Ball really is a terrible fit next to LeBron. Ingram isn't much better. Their playmaking skills are under utilized and neither is that great at shooting.

I'm pretty high on Ingram and think he'll be a very good player but I'm not convinced Ball is better than Elfrid Payton.
Yeah I’m joking about the FT thing but I agree that Ball is a bad fit with LeBron; but he’d also be a bad fit with any other elite perimeter player. LeBron dominates the ball, but so does Harden, Curry, Durant, Westbrook, Kyrie, Lillard, etc. I’ve heard a bunch of people say that Ball can play easily with LeBron, because the ball doesn’t stick in his hands and he doesn’t need to control the ball to be a good fit, but that’s preposterous.

People seem to equate passing frequently to being a player that doesn’t need to have the ball, but to be at his best, Ball needs to be running the offense and controlling the rock, not standing around as an extra shooter like he’s JR Smith. I don’t know how many other playoff teams Ball could play on right now and be the primary creator. He does some other things well, but if he can’t be a reliable shooter and he can’t get to the rim, he’s going to be a very limited NBA player.
 

cheech13

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Jan 5, 2006
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I'd take Lonzo over Rubio today in a coin flip as my PG and he's still 6-7 years from the start of his prime with only experience favoring Rubio, which is weighted heavily especially for this position. I'm not even a Lonzo lover but he's really being underrated around this board. Shooting, passing, rebounding, and defense......he's top tier of all PG's in 3 of these 4 categories as a 2nd year 21-year old and the easiest skill to improve upon is shooting. Combine an improved shot with added strength, experience, and confidence and this is why I have his ceiling pretty high. As has been noted, he's never going to reach his potential in LA with LeBron.....he needs his own team to form his own identity to touch his ceiling.
I mean maybe, but he has some seriously flawed mechanics and his shooting percentages to date put him in Markelle Fultz territory. He has a long way to go to even be a credible shooter, let alone a good one.
 

Eddie Jurak

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I think Lonzo will be fine. I'd happily take him on the C's if there was a spot for him. Very good defensive player whose passing would have great value in the right situation.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Aug 12, 2009
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Lonzo missing two free throws, including front rimming the second one, brings a smile to my face.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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He did go an impressive 5/7 from 3 last night against the Knicks, with 6 boards, but only 2 assists, 6 turnovers and 1-6 from the field on 2 pointers (the rest of the shots were foul line or closer) for a team low -17. I watched the first half and I really struggle to see what his game will be if that shot isn't falling. He has the passing and vision to play well in transition, which is where he thrives, but in the half court he doesn't know what to do with the ball in his hand. He's not an ideal pick and roll ball hanlder since you can just go around the screen knowing you aren't too worried about him either driving or shooting a 32% 3-pointer. He can't drive and collapse the defense to kick to open shooters. He basically either shoots it or plays hot potato and passes it as soon as it gets to him.

The defense, rebounding, and vision will keep him paid and starting, and maybe its just a scheme thing and he'd thrive in a different offense, but I don't see him making an all-star team or anything.
 

Kliq

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He did go an impressive 5/7 from 3 last night against the Knicks, with 6 boards, but only 2 assists, 6 turnovers and 1-6 from the field on 2 pointers (the rest of the shots were foul line or closer) for a team low -17. I watched the first half and I really struggle to see what his game will be if that shot isn't falling. He has the passing and vision to play well in transition, which is where he thrives, but in the half court he doesn't know what to do with the ball in his hand. He's not an ideal pick and roll ball hanlder since you can just go around the screen knowing you aren't too worried about him either driving or shooting a 32% 3-pointer. He can't drive and collapse the defense to kick to open shooters. He basically either shoots it or plays hot potato and passes it as soon as it gets to him.

The defense, rebounding, and vision will keep him paid and starting, and maybe its just a scheme thing and he'd thrive in a different offense, but I don't see him making an all-star team or anything.
I said this earlier but I think that if he can’t be that effective in the pick and roll and he can’t get around defenders and get into the paint, how valuable is his passing and vision really going to be? It’s no surprise that the most effective passers in the game (LeBron, Harden, Paul, Simmons, Westbrook, etc.) are also some of best players at getting into the paint and scoring around the basket. In transition he can still be effective but if he can’t shoot and can’t get to the rim, the impact of his passing is going to be limited.
 

benhogan

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Nov 2, 2007
20,111
Santa Monica
I am an assistant coach in this league https://www.cebl.ca/

Some team sin the league were looking at bringing in the middle kid just to gte a big crowd, but thought the backlash when, inevitably he wasn't good enough, wouldn't be worth it.
While the NBA tries to figure out eligibility/draft rules for kids, there is a tremendous opportunity for leagues like yours.

I'm surprised a league like the CEBL hasn't merged with the Australia NBL (or a Euro league) to create a place for 18yr olds, undrafted NCAA kids & Intl players a place to show their skills in the Summer.

The 8 CEBL could play each other for 3 weeks, then travel to OZ for 2 weeks play those teams, then head back to Canada for 3 weeks to play each other again, then have OZ teams come to Canada for 2 weeks.
10-week regular season. The CEBL Champion plays the OZ Champion in best of 5 series.

I guess it all comes down to sponsorship/$$$
 

reggiecleveland

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Mar 5, 2004
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Saskatoon Canada
While the NBA tries to figure out eligibility/draft rules for kids, there is a tremendous opportunity for leagues like yours.

I'm surprised a league like the CEBL hasn't merged with the Australia NBL (or a Euro league) to create a place for 18yr olds, undrafted NCAA kids & Intl players a place to show their skills in the Summer.

The 8 CEBL could play each other for 3 weeks, then travel to OZ for 2 weeks play those teams, then head back to Canada for 3 weeks to play each other again, then have OZ teams come to Canada for 2 weeks.
10-week regular season. The CEBL Champion plays the OZ Champion in best of 5 series.

I guess it all comes down to sponsorship/$$$
This league just started, and the goal was a place for Canadian kids to play. Basketball Canada is a partner, so the focus is on Canadian kids.We are the only developed nation without our own pron league. The leagues we have had usually have no limits on import players and are dominated by american guys. Even this league allows three imports and we have our three Americans playing 30 minutes (out of 40) a night and taking most of the shots. The uniue thing about this league is it allows Canadian college players to play and earn scholarship money. In fact you must dress one Canadian college guy each game. I should have known how the pyramid spreads, that is 2-5 Canadian guys are getting drafted each year that measn there must be 40 or so Canadian guys close to that level and another 100 or so really good Canadian kids out there. We have lucked out with our Amerian guys, but most teams have a Canadian guy as one of their best scorers.
 

benhogan

Granite Truther
SoSH Member
Nov 2, 2007
20,111
Santa Monica
This league just started, and the goal was a place for Canadian kids to play. Basketball Canada is a partner, so the focus is on Canadian kids.We are the only developed nation without our own pron league. The leagues we have had usually have no limits on import players and are dominated by american guys. Even this league allows three imports and we have our three Americans playing 30 minutes (out of 40) a night and taking most of the shots. The uniue thing about this league is it allows Canadian college players to play and earn scholarship money. In fact you must dress one Canadian college guy each game. I should have known how the pyramid spreads, that is 2-5 Canadian guys are getting drafted each year that measn there must be 40 or so Canadian guys close to that level and another 100 or so really good Canadian kids out there. We have lucked out with our Amerian guys, but most teams have a Canadian guy as one of their best scorers.
OK, that's very cool for the Canadian college kids.

I've been a hardcore Syracuse hoops fan ('89 Grad) since 1980 (watched Leo Rautins play with Santifer/Red Bruin), so I'm somewhat familiar with the bevy of underrated hoops talent from Canada and Niagara Falls (Harris/Flynn/Washington) area.

Recently saw some video's of Quincy Guerrier (Montreal) working out with Buddy Boeheim, he looks promising. Oshae Brissett could have used another year of seasoning at Cuse, but guess he feels ready.

Good luck this season!

https://www.nunesmagician.com/2019/3/21/18275454/proud-canadian-oshae-brissett-talks-basketball-expansion-north-of-the-border-and-syracuse-pipeline