The post LaMelo Ball BEST Highlights From First 2 Months Of His NBA Career!! Rookie Of The Year!? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post LaMelo Ball BEST Highlights From First 2 Months Of His NBA Career!! Rookie Of The Year!? appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post In The Paint Show: Giannis' Supermax, LaMelo's Debut, Looking Forward to Top Prospects in the 2021 Draft appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>First, the guys discuss Giannis signing a five-year supermax contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks. What other pieces do the Bucks need to add in order to create a championship contender? Can Giannis draw another superstar to Milwaukee to play alongside him?
Hit the PLAY button below to tune into ITP 90!
Next Ron and Dev dissect the latest story on ESPN regarding James Harden and his influence on the culture in Houston. Does Harden's partying lifestyle hurt the continuity of the team chemistry or does it make his insane stat lines even more impressive? Ron and Dev also debate whether a team can win a title with Harden as its centerpiece.
To follow that up, the guys take a closer look at LaMelo Ball's first two preseason games with the Hornets. Were they impressed or does Ball need to show more? Also, why Hornets fans and NBA fans in general should be patient for LaMelo's offensive game to get into full gear.
Ron and Dev then transition into their latest story on Ballislife on the six rookies that NBA fans can expect to make an immediate impact in the league and close out the show with some more updates on high school basketball guidelines, scheduling and COVID-19-related cancellations.
The post In The Paint Show: Giannis' Supermax, LaMelo's Debut, Looking Forward to Top Prospects in the 2021 Draft appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post 2020 NBA Draft Winners appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>We’re fairly certain some of the late first round picks will develop into quality players over some of the higher picks towards the back end of the lottery. It happens in nearly every draft and we think the sleepers will what this particular draft will be remembered for a few years down the line.
In this piece Ronnie and Dev make their three picks for which franchises came out in the winner's column on draft night.
Ronnie's Winners
Sacramento Kings - Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa St.) was an excellent pick at No. 12 because he’s a point guard with size and was likely the best available player from pick No. 9 until the kings nabbed him. He can push De'Aaron Fox or play alongside of him. The Kings also got Robert Woodard II (Mississippi St.) at No. 40 and he’s a top-tier athlete and can handle the rigors of guarding wing players. At No. 43, the Kings picked up Jahmius Ramsey (Texas Tech), one of the better our shooters in the draft. If Ramsey can develop into a reliable catch-and-shoot backup, then the Kings just picked up three excellent pieces for their future.
Golden State Warriors - In terms of the actual draft, the Warriors might be the biggest winners because they got the player most physically ready to contribute in this draft. Sure, the Warriors lost when it was revealed Klay Thompson will be lost for the 2020-21 season with a torn Achilles, but that just makes the selection of James Wiseman (Memphis) that much more important. Stephen Curry will be 33 this season and Thompson will be 31 and they simply won’t be able to win in the manner in which they did forever. Every dynasty has to adjust to stay relevant and Wiseman has a good chance to be the most impactful player in this draft. Even if Wiseman reaches 75-80 percent of his max ceiling, he’ll still be better than nearly everyone in this draft. After being unable to trade this pick for a top-tier veteran, the Warriors made the right move.
New York Knicks - Knicks’ fans are desperate for any good news or a winning piece, and they likely had their prayers answered in Obadiah Toppin (Dayton). Toppin may not the upside of Wiseman, but he was the best player in college basketball last year and the safest bet to be a contributor right away of any player drafted. It was surprising to see him drop this far, unless you overvalue upside and some teams did in bypassing Toppin. He’ll have plenty of opportunity in New York and if any player in this draft can help the Knicks steer the ship in the right direction, he was the player. Could he be the next Amar’e Stoudemire? That’s a stretch but his ceiling is higher than what many teams valued it at.
Devin's Winners
Denver Nuggets - Fresh off of an appearance in the NBA Bubble Western Conference Finals, Denver added two young pieces to an already well-balanced roster. The Nuggets selected Zeke Nnaji out of Arizona with the 22nd overall pick. Nnaji, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, is an athletic, long and physical 6-foot-11 forward who showed flashes of inside-out scoring ability and defensive versatility in his one season in Tucson. Nnaji, if he turns out to be as good as Denver expects, could soften the blow of losing Jerami Grant to Detroit in Free Agency. Denver made a clever trade to acquire a second first round pick which they used to select 6-foot-5 guard RJ Hampton with the 24th pick. Most know Hampton as a highly-regarded high school player who opted to go to New Zealand for a season instead of playing collegiately. That move may have hurt Hampton's draft stock, but the talented playmaker has great size and feel for the position and Denver will pair him with Jamal Murray who will show him the NBA ropes.
Charlotte Hornets - The Hornets landed the most talented and highest-upside player in the draft in 6-foot-7 point guard LaMelo Ball. Ball was definitely the most polarizing and talked about player in this Hornets' draft class - and rightfully so - as he could potentially be a franchise-changing pick if his talent and skill-set translates well to the NBA level. Aside from Ball, which was a no-brainer selection, the Hornets made two solid second round picks taking Vernon Carey Jr. out of Duke and Grant Riller out of Charleston. Carey was a highly-touted high school prospect whose five-star resume and production at the college level kind of went under-the-radar. The 6-foot-10, 270-pound center averaged 17.8 points and nearly nine rebounds per game, providing a thin Charlotte front-court with some depth and long-term upside if Carey can become a consistent face-up perimeter shooter. Most people were probably wondering, "who?", when Riller's name was announced, but the four-year college player was a big time scorer at Charleston and a guy who can stroke the three-ball similar to Brooklyn's Joe Harris. If Riller can shoot it at a high 30 percent or low 40 percent clip at the NBA level, that pick will be of tremendous value.
Washington Wizards - Most scouts, mock-drafters, NBA personnel didn't think that Deni Avdija, the top international prospect in the draft, would slip past the sixth pick because of his size, all-around guard skill-set and experience playing at a high level overseas, but luckily for the Wizards, the 6-foot-8 19 year-old fell into their lap. Avdija, as mentioned above, has great ball skills, a high passing IQ and the ability to finish around the basket with either hand. The biggest question for Avdija at this point in his development is how well his shot translates to the NBA three-point line. Washington's other pick of the night was a second rounder in which they snagged Cassius Winston out of Michigan State after a draft day trade with Oklahoma City. The former Spartan was one of the most reliable true point guards in college basketball last season, but his lack of explosiveness scared teams off enough for him to be a late second round selection. Winston brings with him a breadth of experience in one of the best college conferences and is a proven leader in big game situations. With John Wall potentially wanting out of D.C., Winston could be a guy who could provide valuable minutes at the point guard spot.
The post 2020 NBA Draft Winners appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post Ron & Dev Predict the NBA Draft Lottery! (Picks 1-4) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The Golden State Warriors, who are looking to get healthy and return to their winning ways, will pick second, the Charlotte Hornets third, with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out the first five selections.
This will be one of the most unique NBA Drafts on record due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only is the draft delayed by at least four months, NBA front offices will be making picks with far less real-time evaluation because of the cancellations of many conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament last season. Another interesting aspect of this draft is NBA scouts and front office personnel will not be able to evaluate prospects in a live draft combine setting, but rather a virtual one taking place at regional sites.
In this piece, myself and Ronnie Flores do our best to predict which players the lottery teams will select based on fit and team needs. Check out our selections for the top four picks in the final part of our three-part NBA Draft Lottery predictions series.
4. Chicago Bulls
Ronnie’s Pick: LaMelo Ball | Guard | 6-7 | 190 | Australia | PRO
Why: The Bulls moved up three spots and could they be picking up the best talent in the draft? Some feel so, as Ball is the over-sized playmaker NBA teams covet nowadays. The most polarizing player in this draft, and perhaps’ the most in many years, he’s also got the biggest risk-reward factor of any potential draft pick. The younger brother of 2017 No. 2 pick (Lonzo Ball) has a big more wiggle, craftiness, and potentially a tighter handle than his brother, while both have that incredible vision and court awareness. Some NBA brass feel it’s a big plus that he’s already been through the rigors of pro basketball, but his defensive intensity and “gimmicky” style does raise some legitimate question marks about his long-term potential. Melo has been one of the most scrutinized players in basketball, at any level, or the past five years and that should help him should be get off to a slow start in his NBA career. Ball should be a rotational player as long as he picks up the defensive schemes and the fact that Chicago doesn’t have big glaring weaknesses should help his transition. Golden State will take a long look at him at No. 2, but he’ll fall here, and that will give him a better chance to learn on the job and eventually thrive.
Devin's Pick: Obi Toppin | Forward | 6-9 | 220 | Dayton | So.
Why: When taking a closer look at the Bulls' roster, two areas of need immediately jump off the page: guards and forwards. Chicago could certainly go with LaMelo Ball here if he's still available and come away with a high risk/high reward selection and add him in to a solid backcourt alongside Zach LaVine and Coby White. Or, as I believe will happen, the Bulls will select a guy who will be a productive NBA player from day one in Obi Toppin. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Dayton is a high motor guy who plays with great energy on both ends of the floor and has proven he can score inside and out. His rim running ability in transition, along with his vertical athleticism, make him a guy who could excel as an open court finisher or a pick-and-roll lob finisher in the half-court. Toppin shot 39 percent from the college three-point line, and while his catch-and-shoot mechanics are fundamentally sound, it will be interesting to see if his perimeter shooting translates to the deeper NBA three-point stripe.
3. Charlotte Hornets
Ronnie’s Pick: Obi Toppin | Forward | 6-9 | 220 | Dayton | So.
Why: If Wiseman is the Warriors’ pick, and he should be, taking Melo Ball here would be a tempting move for the Hornets, as would his former high school teammate from Chino Hills (Calif.) Onyeka Okongwu. I just get the feeling Charlotte will play it safe, as they are one of those teams that favors more seasoned talent rather than gambling on younger players with a perceived higher ceiling. As the 2020 Naismith Award winner, Toppin was an efficient player in college who will be able to operate down low in the NBA and contribute right away. The Dayton star is a classic what-you-see-is-what-you-get type and at 22 would be the oldest top five pick in a decade. Toppin is an underrated shooter, but there are some concerns about his defensive ability and ceiling. Will those concerns cause him to drop? We don’t think so and in a draft with plenty of question marks, he’s not going to fall out of the top five.
Devin's Pick: LaMelo Ball | Guard | 6-7 | 190 | Australia | PRO
Why: As mentioned above, Ball might be the most talented prospect in this year's draft class, but there are plenty of unknowns that come with drafting a player like him. We all know the story of him leaving Chino Hills to go to Lithuania and then to SPIRE Academy and finally to Australia where, for the first time, he played in a more structured environment than he did at the high school and club level in the states. Like Ronnie said, the youngest of the three Ball brothers is the most polarizing player in the 2020 Draft and he's also the most talented of the three siblings. At 6-feet-7, Melo has the ball skills, creativity, craftiness, vision and basketball IQ to serve as a primary ball handler and playmaker. The question marks about Ball, among NBA decision-makers, stem both on and off the court. Does his freewheeling style of play translate to the NBA level? Will he be a consistent three-point shooting threat from the NBA line? Can he guard his position and properly defend in an NBA defensive scheme? In a draft that doesn't feature a whole lot of no-brainer talent, Charlotte has to go with the best available player here and it is Ball. To me, Melo would fit in nicely with the vastly-improved Devonte' Graham and veteran point guard Terry Rozier along with young, talented forwards in P.J. Washington and Miles Bridges.
2. Golden State Warriors
Ronnie’s Pick: James Wiseman | Center | 7-1 | 235 | Memphis | Fr.
Why: The dynasty with the closing championship window are the big winners in this year’s draft. Why? For starters, its selection won’t have the added pressure of being the No. 1 pick in a weak draft (think Anthony Bennett and how that worked) and regardless, two players from among Anthony Edwards, Melo Ball and Wiseman will be available. That means the Warriors’ front office will have a quality pick/player to shop around should they decide no player from this draft will greatly assist within the time frame of that championship window (keep in mind the Warrior’s own Minnesota’s 2021 first-round pick). Wiseman combination of immense size, frame and mobility easily offsets his limited body of work to get to this point. Sure, Wiseman only played three college games, but should fit in with a team that doesn’t need him to produce gigantic numbers right away. He’ll have some pressure on him to perform at some point, but with Golden State’s shooters, he’ll eventually thrive. And if the Warriors want to package this pick as part of a deal for a veteran, he brings the most value or they’ll be choosing for another team. Either way, the Warriors have quality options.
Devin's Pick: James Wiseman | Center | 7-1 | 235 | Memphis | Fr.
Why: There are expectations that Golden State will try to trade this pick for a more seasoned veteran as it tries to bounce-back to championship form after an injury-riddled season, meaning there's a lot of different ways the Warriors could go here. For the sake of this story, let's assume the Warriors keep this pick, and I think they go with Wiseman here. The mobile 7-foot-1 center has all the makings of a modern big man and his skill-set would translate quite nicely to a Golden State roster that needs some help inside. Wiseman had a brief cup of coffee at Memphis, but showed flashes of his next-level ability in the three games he played. Wiseman averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks per game before a NCAA suspension led him to leave school to prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft. So what is it about Wiseman that could fit in well with the Warriors? The first thing that stands out for me is rim protection, and as the league becomes more athletic and more offensively gifted, there's always a place for a guy who can block, change or alter shots at the rim. The second aspect of Wiseman's game I like is his rebounding, both offensively and defensively. There's no better way to start a fast break than old-fashioned glass cleaning and second-chance opportunities on missed shots are all-important in deep playoff runs.
1. Minnesota Timberwolves
Ronnie’s Pick: Anthony Edwards | Guard | 6-5 | 225 | Georgia | Fr.
Why: There is no questioning Edward’s offensive talent and we’ve known for a long time (since the 2018 Pangos All-American Camp) that he had No. 1 in the draft-type talent. Since the Wolves have some quality offensive players on the perimeter, Edwards won’t be under a tremendous amount of pressure to put up big numbers right away, but he’ll be under the microscope to show offensive efficiency and be engaged defensively. If Edwards gradually improves his shooting percentages and displays an locked-in attitude on defense, we’re talking a potential All-Star player (and there is not too many of those with that potential in this draft). He has to be in a position to succeed and with a coaching staff that feels any shortcomings can be addressed in an adequate amount of time. He’s not a “project” as a No. 1 pick, but not a sure-fire star. Nobody in this draft is, but Edwards is still its best bet because of his combination of athleticism and offensive play-making ability against NBA level defenders.
Devin's Pick: Anthony Edwards | Guard | 6-5 | 225 | Georgia | Fr.
Why: I compare Edwards to Toppin in this year's draft and not because of style of play, but more because of the fact that you know what you're getting and that's a bonafide scorer. The 6-foot-5 off-guard has an impressive combination of physical strength and vertical explosiveness, both of which led to him averaging 19.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as a freshman in the SEC. Edwards will be a guy who can play off the ball alongside De'Angelo Russell, Karl Anthony-Towns and another young and talented wing in Jarrett Culver. While Edwards is a creative scorer and shot creator, it remains to be seen if his perimeter shooting ability is at the level it needs to be for him to live up to a No. 1 Draft selection. Edwards struggled from three-point range at Georgia, connecting on just 29.4 percent of his 7.7 three-point attempts per game. As we all know, shooting the deep ball has become one of the more important aspects of the game and Edwards will need to develop a more consistent deep ball to have a long and productive NBA career.
The post Ron & Dev Predict the NBA Draft Lottery! (Picks 1-4) appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>The post Kobe Bryant, SG for the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>
To all the Lakers fans angry about not getting Chris Paul from the Hornets: count your blessings. @gotem_coach
The post Kobe Bryant, SG for the Charlotte Hornets appeared first on www.ebooksnet.com.
]]>