Dad’s bombast aside, Ball is the real deal
It is time to marvel at the contrast.
Lonzo Ball has a face of stone, seldom broken, suggesting that nothing in the world could bother him. He might be the best passer in the country right now, including the NBA, and his sole desire is to make teammates look good. He’s an unemotional executioner on the court, a freshman bound for the upcoming draft, and quite capable of leading UCLA to the national championship.
Ball’s father, LaVar ,isan annoying purveyor of bombast. His outrageous statements arrive almost daily now, topped by his claim that he could have beaten Michael Jordan oneon-one when Jordan was in his prime. He also boasts that his three sons, two of whom play for Chino Hills High School in Southern California, will change the game as we know it.
It’s all a bit much for a number of NBA executives, privately wondering if the old man just might be too much of a distraction. “The things he says are outlandish, and I don’t think it’s helping his kids,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in an ESPN interview. “I think it would be better for them if they can just play, have fun and not have to hear that every day, but whatever. He keeps getting headlines, and I guess that’s what he wants.”
It’s difficult to gauge the potential of the younger brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, who have drawn attention for their outrageous scoring feats at Chino Hills. With Lonzo at point guard, last year’s team won the state title (at which point coach Steve Baik resigned, partly due to LaVar’s meddling). Under new coach Stephan Gilling — who says he and LaVar are not on speaking terms — Chino Hills was bounced out of this year’s tournament by Bishop Montgomery-Torrance.
There is absolutely no doubt, though, about Lonzo’s future. He’s 6-foot-6, fluid and deceptively quick, oblivious to pressure, and he sets up his UCLA teammates with perfect passes of every known variety. He creates instant fastbreaks with 40-foot outlet passes delivered in stride. He’d be content to go an entire game without scoring — and yet he can be devastatingly effective on the drive and has a funky-looking three-point shot that tends to find the mark. (Why would that be a problem in the NBA if he only shoots when he’s wide open?)
Give Dad some credit here. He raised Lonzo to be exactly the player he has become. And as Lonzo said at the NCAA first round in Sacramento, “Most of the things he says, they’ve pretty much come true. You guys just got a camera in his face now, so you’re seeing it for the first time. He’s been like that my whole life, so it’s nothing new to me.”
As for the Jordan prediction, remember that LaVar is a 6foot-6, 270-pound hulk who was raised in street-tough South Central Los Angeles, spent some time in NFL training camps and briefly played basketball at Washington State. If Jordan got a lighthearted kick out of the challenge, just trying to have some fun, LaVar might do some damage. But if Jordan took it seriously, bent on complete destruction?
Picture them playing one-onone, first to 50 buckets wins. As we check in late, Jordan leads 47-0, and the end is near.
Around the NBA
Luke Walton may be the prince of cool, but don’t mess with his Lakers. During a Friday night skirmish against Milwaukee that found two of his players ejected, Walton was incensed that a Bucks employee “put his hands” on Brandon Ingram and shoved him. “Don’t touch my damn players,” Walton said afterward. “Because if that’s OK, I’m sure we can find a couple people here in L.A. that want that job with the Lakers. That’s not right.”
Watching a poor free thrower at work the other night, Warriors broadcaster Jim Barnett (a good one in his day) said it’s important to set your position, shoot without thinking and establish a rock-solid habit. Why is it, then, that every player in the world has to step off the line and high-five two or three teammates between free throws? Even after a miss? What kind of lame thinking is that?
Harrison Barnes remains a candidate for Most Improved Player, but watch out for Jusuf Nurkic, an apparent mediocrity in Denver who has transformed the Portland Trail Blazers after being acquired for Mason Plumlee last month. “Nurkic Fever,” coach Terry Stotts calls it, and that was
before the 7-0 center went for 28 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks against Philadelphia. Amazingly, Portland also picked up a No. 1 draft pick in the deal. And don’t rule out the big man who stayed in Denver, Nikola Jokic, in the “improved” discussion.
How about we drop “downhill” from the broadcasters’ lingo until teams are playing on a tilted court?
Big props to Clippers coach Doc Rivers for busting DeMarcus Cousins’ childish, ridiculous nickname. “I’m 55,” Rivers said. “It’s tough for me to call a grown man ‘Boogie.’ ”