This topic contains 12 replies, has 12 voices, and was last updated by AvatarAvatar cohenbc1 5 years, 3 months ago.

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  • #69342
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    2quick4u
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    So this post is not about Lonzo and Magic Johnson but about Lonzo, the lost of his "magic" and the Orlando Magic.

    I think everyone has noticed that Lonzo has lost his spark, his magic, his game… he seems lost and very unhappy, his body language is horrible and right now he even looks like an average player.

    What it is worse, Lebron James still has 4 years left and Lonzo’s situation seems like won’t change much as Lebron has literally taken his space and has pushed him to a corner to become a mere observer, and therefore, he can’t play his natural game as a primary ball-handler which is where Lonzo excels.

    I really think that the Lakers and Lonzo need to part ways, and Lonzo particularly needs to start fresh in a new and exciting place where he is needed and can find again the joy for the game and finally flourish as a player.

    I believe that the perfect place for him are the Orlando Magic, a franchise that has the tools to become a contender team in the future, a team that needs a player like him and that would only need to find a couple more pieces to make the puzzle.

    I think that the Lakers and Orlando could work a trade that involves Lonzo,Vucevic and maybe a pick where both teams would benefit.

    A core of Lonzo-Isaac-Gordon-Bamba plus a pure shooter could build something especial in the future, if they were able to reach their potential.

     

     

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  • #1126752
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    dmo21
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    If I’m the Magic, I think I’m looking for a PG with more shooting to spread the floor as Gordon and Isaac (and if you still have Vucevic) are not shooters and are better closer to the rim. Also, I think pass first point guards are slowly becoming a thing of the past and a team where multiple people can handle the ball and every passes and can shoot is what teams are looking for. 

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  • #1126753
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    Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
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    I think Lonzo is still working his way back into rhythm considering he didn’t play all summer and still adjusting to playing with lebron (which in theory I don’t think is a terrible fit at all but will take some time to sort out). As far as his body language and not looking happy, that is kind of just how he is general. He is not someone who is going to show a whole lot of emotion on the court and just always has that kind of disinterested look when he’s out there. That goes back to his HS days and I’m not sure if it has anything to do with lebron or anyone else on the team.

    There is no way I’m giving up on Lonzo for a player like Vucevic who could very easily be a one year rental (even though Vucevic is having a great year). That would be an extremely short-sighted move imo. Unless an offer comes along that you absolutely can’t refuse, I think you at least give it this season to work. Remember, lebron is there for at least 2 more seasons guaranteed after this one, so it’s not like they are exactly on a timeline or anything. From everything I’ve heard, lebron actually genuinely seems to like playing with him.

      

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  • #1126754
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    BeastMode716
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     to be an NBA Star b/c he can Not score in the 1/2 court & that ability is where Super Stars are made b/c that is how a team Wins in the Playoffs 

    Lonzo is excellent in transition but b/c he can Not beat his man off the dribble he can not penetrate & attack the Rim to either score or draw a foul & Lonzo alos can Not get hiw own shot off the dribble from the perimeter b/c he lacks that elite 1st step quickness 

    Lonzo has Excellent size & b/c of that I’d like to see the Lakers have Lonzo take his defender down on the block & become better at his Post game b/c he’ll always have a size advantage over Most NBA guards – Magic used to do this All the time & the Sixers Post up Ben Simmons as well 

    Magic & Simmons at 6’9” & 6’10” could also dribble penetrate b/c of freakish athleticism in Simmons case & in Magic’s day he was crafty enough & just athletic enough to get it done — Ball will never have that skill but the Lakers CAN Post him up which will Build Lonzo’s confidence in the 1/2 court 

    Right now in the 1/2 court Lonzo is like a spectator & it’s clearly messing w/ his Confidence & that Really effects his 3pt shot. 

    Lonzo IS a good player & he will grow into maybe a Very good player & I do agree a change of scenery might be a good thing b/c it’s so easy to get swallowed up by Lebron casting such a huge shadow & we ALL knew Lebron was Never playing "Off the ball" 

     

     

     

     

     

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  • #1126755
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    SeattleSuperChronics
    Participant

     Lonzo’s on ball defense is a difference maker.

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  • #1126762
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    Andv1 Waiting
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    So I’m not a Lakers fan more so a Lonzo ball fan.

    What I have noticed from the few games I have caught this season:

    He is their best defender (non rim protecting player). As switches properly and doesn’t always camp out around the basket like most of their team or get lost like Kuzma or Lebron(who honestly doesn’t always try being honest)…

    He gets frozen out at times on offense by LBJ,Kuz and Ingram who tend to iso alot.. The worst part is when he is wide open and one of these 3 players will pass to a player that is covered or take a contested shot instead…

    Lonzo hesitates a lot more than last season on offense in fear of being yanked off even he is playing well you can tell Walton sitting him 4th quarters and playing rondo more has truly rattled his confidence a little..

    His flaws though are this : He does over pass sometimes,he needs to control his layups a little better as sometimes it looks like he just chucks it at the hoop with out full thinking about it and he does need to look for his shot a little more as magic has said otherwise he is a solid player and could be a special player due to his high I.Q for a player of his age..

     

    Personally I wouldn’t mind if one of two things happened: Either Lonzo played more with the bench and actually got to handle the ball more and show them how much he is being held back by the starters. I think he should start the game still for his ego but basically spend 80% of the game running 2nd unit and getting his shots up and actually being allowed to play PG as he won’t get to do that fully in LBJ lineups…Just give him 30 mins a game and I bet they will see a difference..

    or

    Trade him to Phoenix for their next years pick(unprotected) and a player to make the money work..A core of Ayton,Ball and Booker would be fun to watch… They should do this after Rondo is back though so they still have a legit P.G though..

     

     

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  • #1126763
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    Ahkasi Clay
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     Can help his team as a defensive bavk up point guard?

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  • #1126765
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    halfdecayed
    Participant

    Lol, nice try. Lonzo’s defense is really really good. That’s an awful trade though. They’ll get more value for him down the road. He’s adjusting right now. The whole team is.

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  • #1126770
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    HobbyOG
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    Would love to see him with the Suns…he’s handcuffed in LA now with the ball in Brons hands. 

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  • #1126772
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    Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers
    Participant

     As I’ve said before, this idea that Lonzo needs to dominate the ball to excel is just not accurate. In fact, just the opposite is true. When Lonzo has the ball in his hands too much is where he gets into trouble since he doesn’t necessarily have great one on one breakdown ability off the dribble and his shooting motion can make it difficult to get his shot off in tight spaces. When he is asked to create too much it exposes a lot of his flaws. Conversely, he is actually quite adept playing without the ball as a secondary playmaker. He’s a smart cutter who reads the floor well and understands spacing. I think he is actually sometimes better at attacking against a scrambling defense rather than initiating against a set one. These qualities actually make him an ideal fit with lebron. 

    However, Lonzo needs to develop into more of a scoring threat to open up the rest of his game. Right now his shot is inconsistent at best, he doesn’t really attack the basket much and is basically allergic to the ft line. Teams do not really rotate to him in the half court because he isn’t much of a threat right now. His best skill is the ability to find the open man but it’s difficult to do that when you are the open man the majority of the time. 

     

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  • #1126773
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    Mopgrass
    Participant

    He needs to attack the rim more often… which he’s been doing the last 4 games. He’s getting blocked, he’s chucking it up sometimes, but he is not practiced driving in a little traffic. He’s afraid of it. The only way to get better is to do it kore. He basically didn’t do it at all last year. It’s been really great the way the veterans  have been pushing him to be more aggressive (Rondo, Chandler). Walton (my favorite guy there) couldn’t get him to do it last year. I think the veterans really put it in perspective for him. Maybe this was the right group to surround rookies with. 

    LeBron is always going to suck the oxygen up. Everyone has to, rightfully, sacrifice their game for him. I think he showed up to LA thinking, “I’m going to be hands off. We’ll win, just get into playoffs, and then I’ll kick it into gear.”  Problem is they only won a third of their games last year and when thinks went bad, he got competitive. It’s not what he envisioned. I think he wanted to come in and help develop this team, but when they lost, he couldn’t help himself. Last year he rested most of the season because he trusted his teammates, saving all his energy for playoffs (just not going full LeBron all year), and then killed it inplayoffs. He won’t have the energy to do that this year. 

    I think LeBron has unrealistic expectations coming in and that’s been a disservice to everyone. 

     

     

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  • #1126856
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    mowesten
    Participant

     Gross. I’m not sure there has been a player in my lifetime play as poorly as Ball and get a free pass from so many fans. Dude consistently scores two and three points in a game in which he plays 30 + minutes and takes 10 shots. Who does that at this level?

    In the month of December, now 15 games, he is shooting 26 percent from 3. He has more games scoring 0,2 or 3 points than he does reaching double digits.

    He has two (2) games in his career in which he scored 20 or more points. Ricky Rubio, who most sane people think has underachieved in the NBA due to his inability to consistently shoot, has twice that many 20-point games this month.

    Ball is mentally weak, which is why he can’t make a free throw, and is being crushed by the glare of the LeBron spotlight. He might thrive in Charlotte or somewhere nobody is paying attention, but this is what he wanted and he hasn’t shown he can handle it. 

     

     

     

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  • #1126865
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    cohenbc1
    Participant

    It’s an interesting question. I sometimes wonder if he’s another Kendall Marshall. That dude could really run the point, but he’s out of the league because he couldn’t shoot, score at the rim or defend. His career shooting percentages were 40/37/61, with 5 assists and 2 turnovers per game.

    Lonzo so far is a much worse shooter: 37/31/47. That is embarrassing for an NBA player. But he averages 6 assists and 2 turnovers, plus a majestic 7 rebounds per game for his career. And he looks like at least an adequate defender, although we’ve never seen him match up with Steph, CP3 or Russ in a game that matters.

    When I watch Lonzo though, he reminds me a lot of a young JKidd. Kidd’s stats in his second season (he made the all-star game): 38/34/69 shooting, 10 assists but 4 TOs, 7 boards.

    I don’t know, the jury’s still out, and the NBA is changing rapidly in the meantime. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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