The best Point Guard in our organization might be Greivis Vasquez, the Head Coach of our G League team. He only 32. j/k
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The best Point Guard in our organization might be Greivis Vasquez, the Head Coach of our G League team. He only 32. j/k
As a New Orleanian this team is hard to follow. You have the Saints, who do nothing but win and are title contenders year after year with a large fan base.
Then you have this sad sack bunch that cannot seem to get out of their own way.
SVG has to make the hard decisions and start a new back court.
That starting 5 FT % is brutal, just brutal! Maybe you can win with two front court guys being bad from the line, but your starting back court as well? That?s a steep climb night in and night out, no matter what else they do.Originally Posted by Pelicanidae
Still, I think you?ve got to give them time to try and find a groove. If it?s still this brutal after 20 games, you can think about making a switch. If it?s still this brutal after 40 games, you can think about making a trade.
I don't know boss.. I'm thinking a change needs to be made now, even a trade if possible. I think it's important for Zion and Ingram to get accustomed to winning, playoff experience is also important. The sooner they acquire it, the better.
TBH SVG might as well play Kira, at least he'll hit his free throws.
R.I.P. to HunnyB/FlyGirl
As far as I'm concerned, Zion and Adams are fine. Like, would you want them to be better from the line? Yes, of course, but for a PF and C combo you can deal with it. Obviously Ingram's FT shooting is excellent.
Bledsoe's is on the low side a little, but not horrific. If he could get it up to around 77% then I'd be just fine with it.
It's Ball's that I can't accept. 60% from the line as a point guard is just unacceptable. The fact that 60% from the line is his current career high is even worse: it's not like he's going through a cold spell, this is literally the best he has ever been at this in the NBA. It's just not acceptable. Point guards cannot shoot below 75% from the line imo, worse than that and it's a legitimate critique.
Basketball.
Looked up driving stats and of course Lonzo's are awful. Shooting 31% and getting points on 22%. Passing on 48% and assisting on 7%
NAW is also shooting 31%, but getting points on 43% and passing on 30%, assisting on 7%. So passing less but same assist %.
Bledsoe is shooting 63%, points on 38%, passing on 60%, and assisting on 13%.
And turnovers on drives?
Lonzo - 11%
NAW - 7%
Bledsoe - 4%
So the one takeaway is Lonzo has been getting the most minutes of the 3 and that has to change. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever he should play more than Bledsoe, who is outplaying Lonzo in almost every category.
One thing about the Saints and Sean Payton, he most often than not, recognizes personnel mistakes and corrects them. And when he does, it's surprising how much one player makes a difference. Even in a sport where there is 11 on each side.
SVG has to do this. The team as a whole isn't playing well, but there is one player in particular that is a huge albatross by playing him so many minutes.
Last edited by luckyman; 01-09-2021 at 01:19 PM.
To add to what Luckyman is saying about Lonzo as a driver (notably one of his worst skills) here's some other info on him so far this season.
Only 13 guards have played at least 300 minutes this season so far. Among those 13, Lonzo is:
10th in FG%
12th in 3pt%
13th in FT%
11th in points in the paint
4th in touches
It's just not acceptable to be touching the ball this often, playing this many minutes, and being so awful as an offensive weapon. There's a very strong argument that he's just flat out the worst guard in the NBA to have played this many minutes this year: the only thing making it slightly debatable is his defense where he's a fair amount better (though still not a standout: for example, he's 11th in loose balls recovered, 4th in deflections, 7th in 2pt contests, 3rd in 3pt contests, etc).
Lavar did an amazing job getting Lonzo picked 2nd
Call it for what it is.......
Lonzo is who Lebron thought he is.
I have never seen this much hand-wringing over such an average to below average player. Lonzo is just not worth the trouble.
As a guard, you need to:
Probe the defense. Get in the lane, get fouled, make free throws.
3 pointers being the primary focus is millennial basketball, and unless you are a healthy Seth Curry/Klay Thompson it is rarely going to lead to CONSISTENT wins.
There is a time and a place for 3's, and this team does not have the basketball intellect to understand when those times are.
It matters a lot, because we almost gave Lonzo a 15 mil extension
He'll be gone after this season with his new "representation". He needs to be moved for something...anything. Anyone with a basketball IQ.
One can only pray
I don't think he lacks IQ per se. He doesn't make a huge amount of dumb plays. He can't just can't make plays full stop. It's a skillset problem
Last edited by AusPel; 01-09-2021 at 02:43 PM.
So let move him today for anything, Something is better than nothing. I'll even take two # 2's.
The problem with Lonzo has always been mental fragility. Imagine growing up and having an enormous emotionally abusive father waiting to berrate you to within an inch of your life if you missed a shot. The youngest brother learned from Lonzo's mistakes and typically the youngest child has the least expectations placed on them anyway, which clearly worked out better for Lamelo.
Lonzo's issues are deeeep seated, he needs therapy. If he was making his 3's like he did last year while playing great D and was amenable to a reasonable contract, he could be passable as an undersized wing-type player. But his shot has typically been inconsistent, and I think it probably always will be.
You get all that from watching him on TV?
Obviously Ingram, Zion, Adams are the starters you love to have. The Pelicans backcourt is what needs the work. We have a bunch of guards, but none of them are clearly above average NBA starters, and also don't seem to be a great fit for the team Specifically we don't have guards we can trust for perimeter shooting or for running the offense in crunch time. Clearly if the Pelicans are going to make any trades it should be for finding players to fill that need.
In fairness, Lonzo probably would benefit from therapy.
But so would about 70% of all people, so it's not saying much.
^True. In Brazilian culture, people go to therapy like we go to the gym. There is no stigma attached, it's just considered mental hygiene.
But Lonzo's father was all over our networks constantly back when I still followed the Lakers after Lonzo was drafted. You guys have no idea. Lakers had to make the 'Lavar Ball Rule' to keep the media from constantly interviewing him, cause he'd just be trashing everyone.
Lavar is a classic domineering abusive narcissist personality, for anyone with basic psych knowledge. Along the lines of how Joe Jackson beat gold records out of Michael and his siblings, though probably not quite that horrific. Likewise, Lonzo has had terrible body language (particularly after he makes mistakes) and lack of confidence and inabibity to maintain his focus, which is also easy to read.
if you followed lonzo then you also know that his baby mom is a pain in the butt that also cause drama for the dude....lonzo never say anything bad about her in public and just take that abuse and keep it moving some how......i think he uses basketball as a outlet to block out or get away from family bullcrap.......
so yeah he probably do need therapy because he probably hold alot of personal stuff in and dont know how to let it out...and this is a contract year for him so something maybe going on......also he may not want to be in new orleans.......him being traded here and then seeing the lakers win a title could be messing with him..who knows...
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