I can actually see Ball being a Shaun Livingston type. Good contributer in a backup role, but not worth his draft selection nor the daddy baggage.
I probably saw him play 8 games while at work this season and at the college level....great passer....gets knocked down by 6'9 college bigs a lot..has obviously grown up with a psycho mentor...and not in Will Barton shape by any stretch....I think he's hype....they say next Jason Kidd....I say next Nolan Smith
I think he's for real. He has amazing feel for the game, sees the court, runs the offense, makes the players around him better. He doesn't have Stockton's shooting ability and on the other hand he's taller which is a plus, but I think they have the same gift for running an offense
There's 2 guys in the top 10 I'd want us to trade up for. Tatum and Dennis Smith. Collins I think is a target of ours and we can shuffle the deck a little bit and snag him.
Livingston is maybe similiar because of his height and I don't really remember him pre injury so maybe it's a valid comparison but I think Ball is better and is more effective in his influence on the game. Livingston is solid, depandable, good decision maker but he's not a game changer the way Ball is, in my opinion
Livingston was a similar playmaker. Had crazy passing ability and court vision. The difference is Livingston couldn't shoot. Ball can shoot when open, but won't be able to get his shot off in the NBA. Also Livingston could handle ball pressure better. Short quick defenders didn't bother him.
His quickness isn't enough to get by guys in the NBA like in college, and his handle isn't enough to break guys down. It reminds me of Evan Turner. Ball won't be able to get his own shot off, and won't be able to get by his defender to create passing lanes through a collapsing defense. He'll struggle with ball pressure too. If passing is his biggest strength, but his other tools agent enough to create passing opportunities, it negates his passing ability. Its like if a PG could shoot well off the dribble, but couldn't create space in order to get shots off the dribble. His strength that teams are drafting him for doesn't translate because of other things. Gotta look deeper than "what does this guy do well and how good do his college highlights look?". Ball will be a bust.
Jones I often agree with your analysis on players. Which is why I am so surprised with how wrong you are on this one. I hope you are right. I hope he is a bust. I want him to be a bust badly. I just don't see it. The one thing I am not sure about with him is a pull up mid range jumper. But as ugly as his shot is, he will be fine from deep. He might not be a superstar but he is nothing like ET. He is a true point guard all the way. He has great court vision and passing skills. If Deron Williams can get to the basket as a young player, then so can Ball. I just can't see him being a bust.
I would have him at both, depending on the lineup. I do like him at PF though because he could really create problems with his quickness.
Unless we are offering Dame or CJ, Fultz didn't seem to be an option. One could make an argument that a Fultz/CJ backcourt could be very effective, but that isn't going to happen.
He gets pushed around in the post and is not able to keep his box out position. He can't guard PFs and won't be able to unless he gains another 30 lbs. And with his frame that's not happening. I'd keep him at SF.
