There will be ample possibilities for the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2017 NBA Draft. They should avoid Lonzo Ball at all costs, here’s why.
The Philadelphia 76ers are a rapidly improving team in the NBA. The improvements have come the old-fashioned way, through the NBA Draft. Building a team though the NBA Draft requires ample picks, patience, and a discerning eye. So far, the Sixers have managed to walk that fine line.
But the 2017 NBA Draft poses a unique test. The draft holds plenty of talent, which creates that Baskin-Robbins challege of too many choices. Then the draft has talent for virtually any scheme. But which talent fits the scheme of the Philadelphia 76ers? One such player with plenty of talent for the right NBA team is Lonzo Ball. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia 76ers are not the right team.
Not A Big Need
The first reason why the Philadelphia 76ers should avoid UCLA guard Lonzo Ball is that his strengths are very similar to Ben Simmons‘, minus the shooting. Ball and Simmons both need the ball in their hands to be successful; although it would bring showtime to Philly, the pair would get in each other’s way. In addition, with Brett Brown saying Simmons will be the full-time point guard I can’t see where Ball would fit in the lineup. Simmons needs to be surrounded with pure scorers, Ball doesn’t provide that.
Past Experiences
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Another reason is that the 76ers have already had problems with the fathers of players. Jahlil Okafor’s and Kendall Marshall’s fathers who were very outspoken, and both had their own strong opinions on the 76ers. Perhaps LaVar Ball is too much for the 76ers to handle.
NBA Players’ Views
Personally, I like LaVar Ball, but I can see why a team would shy away from drafting the 6 foot 6 guard, LaVar would bring unwanted attention to the team. Also, many NBA players, such as John Wall, have said players will compete a little harder against Ball to teach him a lesson. Its clear that LaVar has put a target on his son’s back, despite LaVar saying Lonzo will cherish having a target on his back, it must surely be on the guard’s mind.
An example of this is recently Channing Frye came out and said “No matter what does, it is going to be so easy to hate on him now”. Fellow Cavaliers player Kyrie Irving also told LaVar to “Let Lonzo be Lonzo”. These quotes display how NBA players feel towards this controversial family.
Father’s Wishes
Additionally, LaVar clearly want Lonzo to end up in Los Angeles, playing for the Lakers, Lonzo have also said that he would prefer getting drafted by the Lakers. Staying home is the main reason for wanting to play for the Lakers, since he’s played in LA all of his life. It wouldn’t surprise me if LaVar did everything in his power to get Lonzo playing in the purple and gold. A situation similar to Eli Manning, Archie Manning and the San Diego Chargers could be on the horizon.
All in all, Lonzo Ball is a fantastic player with obvious talent. Without the extra baggage I’m sure everyone would love to have the 19-year-old on their team, but his father may be a bit too much for the Philadelphia 76ers to handle.