First of all, the fact that he switched agents and signed with Klutch is a clear sign that he wants out, which means that he's likely going to be traded. I mean, we could hold on to him to start the season and then trade him right before the deadline, but I feel confident saying that will only happen if Griffin somehow can't make a deal that he likes in the offseason.

Lonzo's big problem is that he's a turnover machine. His turnover percentage was 2nd-worst in the league. And the reason that he has so many turnovers is that teams know that they don't have to guard him going to rim, because he won't do it, and if he does, he'll miss, and if you end up fouling him, he'll miss the FTs.

All that is to say that he's a very poor starting PG in the NBA right now. You can't play PG now in the league if you can't run a pick-and-roll, and he can't do that well because he's no threat to go to the rim.

If Lonzo is going to become a good starter on a playoff team, then he is going to have to do one of two things:

1) Develop at the rim and learn to shoot FTs at an 80% clip. Become feared as someone who puts opponents on a poster.

2) Accept that he isn't a PG and accept his fate as a 3&D wing. Learn to get himself open for 3pt shots. Become a lethal threat from 3 like JJ or Duncan Robinson. Learn to use off-ball screens to get open for catch-and-shoot opportunities.

Unfortunately, I don't know that Lonzo really wants to do either of those things. I think that Lonzo will eventually develop into a good player, but he's going to have to fail some more before I think that he's ready to do what he needs to in order to achieve that. It's not something that we can fix -- his next team is going to have to try to do that.

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Posted by Bronc

Member since Sep 2018

12646 posts

Posted on 9/25/20 at 12:32 pm to GOP_Tiger

Sums up my thoughts on him right now pretty perfectly.

The bubble might have honestly been a blessing in disguise for the Pels because I think his three-point improvement created a lot of bias around hanging onto him, but the holes he has in his game are really big. And if history is our guide the best we are going to hope for next season is one or two areas improving a bit. Then you are having to give him a new contract.

He seems like the classic high upside player that doesn't really put it together til 26-28. Still never really living up to that hype though.

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Posted by Don Pel

Member since Feb 2019

438 posts

Posted on 9/25/20 at 2:09 pm to GOP_Tiger

quote:
First of all, the fact that he switched agents and signed with Klutch is a clear sign that he wants out, which means that he's likely going to be traded. I mean, we could hold on to him to start the season and then trade him right before the deadline, but I feel confident saying that will only happen if Griffin somehow can't make a deal that he likes in the offseason.

I don’t read those tea leaves the same as you. Why would Lonzo want out of New Orleans from a basketball standpoint? Lonzo has flashed potential but as you point out, from an established player perspective he has much to improve upon. Basically he doesn’t have enough weight to be throwing it around.

quote:
If Lonzo is going to become a good starter on a playoff team, then he is going to have to do one of two things:

1) Develop at the rim and learn to shoot FTs at an 80% clip. Become feared as someone who puts opponents on a poster.

Confidence is a major factor in Zo’s game. I believe he can become that player and essentially that’s the player I’m expecting to see throughout his tenure with New Orleans.

Zo is in a great situation if we’re being honest.

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