True Lakers Fans

Been reading a lot about how the young core has been putting in time in the weightroom, getting bulkier and stronger. Lonzo and Ingram, specifically, both need to come out with more aggression and confidence, and having LeBron, Rondo and Lance to help guide them will be such a great bonus this year.

"(Magic) Johnson said that Ball needs to be “selfish some,” and aggressively look for his own shot.

“The main focus is scoring from all levels,” Ball said at his exit interview, “especially off the pick-and-roll getting into the paint. … Floaters, pull-ups, stuff of that nature.”

Indeed, these are areas where Ball struggled to put it through the net. He shot just 37.5 percent on pull-up jumpers (15-of-40), 32.6 percent from mid-range (14-of-43) and 29.7 percent on floaters (11-of-37)."

www.nba.com/lakers/news/180914-the-next ... lonzo-ball

KobeMVP888 wrote:

What a coincidence that the day before this news came out, Andrew Bynum was in the news regarding a comeback. Man, do I hope Lonzo doesn't have Drew's knee issues. Just like Drew, Lonzo took his time making a decision that will impact his future. Personally, I think he should have gone for the repair. The long game is what matters here, not this season, and he would have been back in time for the stretch run anyway. We can only hope that he won't be in and out of the lineup this season because of this knee issue. I'm curious as to what input Magic Johnson had in this decision, if any.

This, partially, is what professional athletes are paid well for . . "why they make the big bucks", as the saying goes - because being on the court generates fame, and fame equals ratings and money, no matter what physical rigors or permanent injuries may befall the player. If Lonzo wasn't still such an emerging "brand" in his own right and a player expected to develop into the next Kidd, then maybe he takes the longer route of repair instead of remove. I'm sure the Lakers' doctors gave him the best advice possible about what to expect in the years to come.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2018/9/12 ... rs-worried

This thread needed revival.

Just sayin' ...

KobeMVP888 wrote:

Just sayin' ...

Rev isn't convinced that he will be a Great player in the future. I am not really either but he is Good and I will take that considering we have LeBron and Kuzma on the team.

LaVar is still making a distraction uhh I mean impact on his sons by producing this stupidity.

"Filming for the show started on Lonzo’s draft night and has included LiAngelo’s arrest in China followed by Lavar’s spat with President lpmua6. But increasingly, viewers have stuck around for drama closer to home, such as Lonzo’s evolving relationship with Denise, the mother of his child. During the first season, cameramen tracked the rookie throughout warmups and games. “We quickly realized they’ve got that same thing on ESPN—we’re not providing anything different there,” Ezell said."

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source= ... 1774201146

I don't give a flying fuck about LaVar Ball. He's not worth my brain space.

I love the way his 21 year old son plays basketball though.

KobeMVP888 wrote:I don't give a flying fuck about LaVar Ball. He's not worth my brain space.

I love the way his 21 year old son plays basketball though.

We don't need our sophmo-rook playing reality-tv star in a show his dad is producing. Sign of the times, I guess. Maybe he should have stayed at UCLA to incubate.

lakerevolution wrote:We don't need our sophmo-rook playing reality-tv star in a show his dad is producing. Sign of the times, I guess. Maybe he should have stayed at UCLA to incubate.

He's progressing just fine.

KobeMVP888 wrote:

lakerevolution wrote:We don't need our sophmo-rook playing reality-tv star in a show his dad is producing. Sign of the times, I guess. Maybe he should have stayed at UCLA to incubate.

He's progressing just fine.

I didn't realize we drafted a guy for his defense vs. PGs. The size advantage and switch-off is HUGE

Love thus Unique Sports dude who devotes his life to Lonzo's defense!

KobeMVP888 wrote:

Love thus Unique Sports dude who devotes his life to Lonzo's defense!

I can see it's become a default stat to give 'Zo some credit and deflect from his 30+ minute, 6 point 7 rebound 5 assist nights, but stepping in front of a PG for a few seconds is obviously being counted as "defending" him. I watch the film. 'Zo is pretty tenacious and clearly likes to play D -- his quick hands and length are already feared by opposing players in transition on offense and defense and this is definitely one of his strengths in contrast to what some of us though he was drafted for, which is putting up 15/5/11 a night and running the point. With the LeBron and Rondo pickups, naturally he "isn't needed" to score much or even be the assist leader, but I'm sure I'm not the only one from a fan base and coaching staff/teammate perspective who feels that without LeBron and Rondo in the picture, his natural arc would be to become the team's offensive quarterback and glue guy in the style of Jason Kidd or Magic Johnson. Maybe in a couple more years he'll completely bust out of that shell, improve his FG% and be ready for that kind of pressure on offense -- but for now we'll settle for opposing PGs laying bricks to gauge how much of a contribution he's having on the court. Nights like tonight against Charlotte are a great trend upwards, and I can only hope that it's from his supporters continuing to motivate him to be more focused and aggressive. Go GoofBall!

LeBron is a very intelligent guy, and he's taking every chance to build Lonzo's confidence -- something he clearly sees lacking:

"James said he and Ball are "one in the same" when it comes to their playmaking ability.

"We are always looking for our teammates and that's the greatest satisfaction we can have when we see our teammates score the ball," James said. "Always been pretty good rebounders for our positions. Him at the guard spot and me at the 4. ... We just try to be aggressive, attack the rim, make shots. We showed all that tonight."

As for Lonzo "shutting down" Kemba:

"Hornets two-time All-Star Kemba Walker was held to a season-low four points on 2-of-13 shooting from the field. Once a front-runner for the league MVP, Walker is in the midst of a major shooting slump, making just 32.3 percent (34 of 105) of his shots from the field in the last six games."

But hey we'll give Lonzo all the credit he deserves.

"Lo and behold, Ball tossed up a three-pointer from the corner a few seconds after coming back into the game, and like so many of his other hoisted threes, that one missed too.

When he missed yet another three-pointer from the opposite corner 23 seconds later, Lakers coach Luke Walton had seen enough and pulled Ball from the game for good with 2:02 left in what was shaping up as a disappointing loss Sunday night at Staples Center."



https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source= ... 9601063223