So Lonzo Ball was a bust

His defense was legit. His shooting motion was too unorthodox to ever be super consistent, but he did have natural passing skills and athleticism. At his peak he could have been an equal to/slightly poorer man's Jrue, but injuries derailed his potential.

If you look at how he played in his last season with the Pelicans and the first season in Chicago, that was a short glimmer of what I estimate was 85% of his potential. He would have likely been a 17 PPG, 7 AST on 43/37/78 splits with good defense. That would have been good enough to not be considered a bust. No, it's still not a franchise player which many hope for from the top 2 picks, but good enough to not be having this discussion.

For example, nobody flames Tyson Chandler for not being able to reach a franchise player caliber after all.

[QUOTE=StrongLurk;15046309]Bro he was a number 2 pick. Sure he was a good defender and a reliable 3 point shooter, but he still lacked a lot. Saying he was an elite playmaker is a joke lol. Complete hyperbole dude.

When I say he was never good, I mean he would never even be a fringe all-star type of guy. He is mostly a good BACKUP PG, which is not much for a number 2 pick.[/QUOTE]

So what? So many #2s don't pan out at all. He was not just a back-up PG, he played ~35 mpg on a Bulls team that was 22 - 13 with him as a STARTING PG.

He was an elite playmaker, that was his best attribute on offense. Even as a rookie when he had nothing else going for him, passing was the one thing he did at an elite level.

I checked the numbers, and his pull-up three never really translated. The only year it was falling was 2021-22 (41.3% on 1.8 3pa/g), which was the Chicago season. Shame. Also did 39.5% on 1.2 3pa/g across 35 games last season. He really needed it falling like Haliburton to unlock more.

[QUOTE=ImKobe;15046296]OP knew he'd get serious injuries that would derail his career?[/QUOTE]
He knew Jokic was going to be great in 2023, he knows what he’s talking about.

[QUOTE=SouBeachTalents;15046318]He knew Jokic was going to be great in 2023, he knows what he’s talking about.[/QUOTE]

Haha you constantly misrepresent what I say there. I didn't say Jokic was going to great in a general sense. I was claiming that he was going to win a ring/FMVP that year (which he literally did) and officially be a GOAT-level player (aka top 10 all time). Those are very specific claims that no one else was making at the time.

[QUOTE=SouBeachTalents;15046318]He knew Jokic was going to be great in 2023, he knows what he’s talking about.[/QUOTE]

:oldlol:

I always had the impression that the Lakers taking him had nothing to do with his ability as a player, as they were far better players in that draft. Or maybe they hoped that he would develop a jumpshot and become a good player on offense, just to go on with his passing, rebounding and defense. He is a bust, nevertheless. And the comparisons with Rondo are just dumb takes lol Rondo was a player that won two rings, was an All-Star, etc. He had a way more accomplished career.

I think Magic did that because he saw a big point guard with Cali roots that badly wanted to be a Laker. But to be fair everyone thought Ball would be great. He or his dad told the Celtics not to draft him and refused a workout. Had they not taken that stance he might have been drafted even higher.