LaMello Ball

[Lipoli390]

Lamello finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. He hit 7 of 1 of 10 FG attempts, 3 of 4 three-point attempts and 4 of his 4 free throw attempts. I watched the entire game win focused on LaMello with a critical eye. I can tell you that he looked every bit as good as his box score suggests. It's only one game, but I really like the way he played. He didn't jack up bad contested shots like DLO and more recently Edwards. He took smart shots within the framework of the offense. He's a tremendous ball-handler, but he kept the ball moving and never overdribbled. He played with energy and was active on both sides of the ball. Again, it's only one game, but I could see why Mike Schmitz has been so high on LaMello. I saw that Rick Carlisle, before the game based on film, was praising Ball for his unselfishness and effort on both sides of the ball. I was a huge Ball detractor leading up to the draft, but I can see him making me eat all my negative words about him.

I was also watching some highlights of Wiseman with the Warriors. Right now, I like what I've seen from all three of the top picks - Edwards, Wiseman and Ball. Others who appear to be playing well include Haliburton, Vassell and Deni. It will be interesting to watch all of these rookies and see how they progress throughout the season. One thing for sure is that I will no longer dismiss LaMello Ball as all hype or a likely bust. To the contrary, he looks like he could be really, really good.

I'll add that Miles Bridges looked tremendous tonight. He finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds. PJ Washington also looked good. Both Miles and PJ play with a lot of energy and toughness. I'd love to have one of those two on the Wolves roster.

[FNG]

I'm giving Ball more of a look too, Lipoli, and I agree that the top three in this draft could turn out to be very good, along with Deni and Haliburton. I liked Vassell a lot going into the draft and by all reports has brought some defensive intensity like he did in college. But Pop is not going to be tolerant of a guy missing as many shots as he is...his eFG% is around 40%. I suspect he is going to lose his rotation minutes soon when Derrick White returns. White could be all NBA defense, and his career eFG% of 53% is much more what Pop looks for.

[Q12543 [enjin:6621299]]

It always pains me a bit to see a fellow rookie that we didn't take play really well like Ball did last night. However, him being in Charlotte in the Eastern Conference makes me feel a bit better.

It's so hard to project where a lot of these 19 and 20-year old rookies end up. Unless someone looks totally clueless or totally dominant, you learn more in Year 2 than anything you see in Year 1.

[AbeVigodaLive]

It always pains me a bit to see a fellow rookie that we didn't take play really well like Ball did last night. However, him being in Charlotte in the Eastern Conference makes me feel a bit better.

It's so hard to project where a lot of these 19 and 20-year old rookies end up. Unless someone looks totally clueless or totally dominant, you learn more in Year 2 than anything you see in Year 1.

Yep. This year probably more than most because of the goofiness of it.

And it's not just that 2nd year either. But that's where they start to separate. And then... if it's the right player... and the right situation... that gap gets bigger and bigger as they keep improving.

[Wolvesfan21]

The top 3 I would say are nearly tied right now for ROY I think. All 3 have looked great and bad at times. So we simply need to see more. I'm being a homer liking Edwards the best right now and happy with the pick, so we'll have to see more games to see how it pans out. *crossing fingers that DLO doesn't rub off on Ant too much*

[KG4Ever]

I'm watching LaMelo play before the Wolves game and he is very impressive. His shot looks good and he swished one from Curry range. He had some nice no-look passes. His defense is mixed. He has quick hands and got a steal, but other times he was less engaged. I had LaMelo ranked ahead of Edwards but behind Wiseman, Hayes and Haliburton. I posted earlier that LaMelo could be anything from bust to a perennial all-star. I no longer see bust as a possibility if he stays healthy and really think he's going to be a very good player.