04-07-2021, 05:14 AM
(04-07-2021, 04:35 AM)DanSchwartzgan Wrote: If you look at what Dallas has asked JRich and DWright to do, and if you ignore the last name and the dad and the agent, then Ball is probably the best fit among the RFA's (maybe among all free agents). He solves so many of our issues. Keeping some combination of Luka, Ball and Brunson on the court at all times (and all 3 occasionally) would be a great situation for years to come. Ball also makes great sense for NY and Chicago, so he will get paid. I think the estimates of $20mm seem low.
I like your idea. In theory JRich might be attractive to the 28th ranked D in the league. But, I have a hard time seeing them going after the spacing you'd have with a Bledsoe/Richardson back court. They have a lot of mediocre three point shooters and would be losing their best one (in both attempts and percentage) in Ball. Do you envision Lewis taking over at PG and Bledsoe to a third guard role backing up Lewis and JRich? Lewis is an improving 3 point shooter, but he doesn't take very many. As has been said, something like this takes four parties to agree.
The other thing to consider is the competition. Are we more attractive than NY and Chicago? Would NO prefer to send him out of conference? Is JRich more attractive than the S&T package the others could provide. This is a lot like the Collins talk except you are calling NO's bluff instead of Atlanta's, the competition is Chicago and NY instead of Charlotte and San Antonio and the agent is Rich Paul instead of Jeff Schwartz. That is a lot to overcome. It might improve your odds to just throw out a really big number and call New Orleans's bluff rather than trying to complicate it with a double S&T.
Besides the points you laid out about the stiff competition...
....the question I have with Lonzo is why the Pelicans even want to let him go?
He´s literally the perfect PG/SG for Zion and Ingram. You got two "Ballhog" SF/PF/C that need a ton of touches playing with a pass-first defensive PG that can apparently knock down threes at a high rate. Heck he´s even a good fit with the scoring speed demon Lewis and Alexander-Walker. Bledsoe is gone in 12 months. Isn´t Ball/Lewis/Walker a pretty great backcourt to grow alongside Ingram/Zion.
What is going on behind the scenes that Lonzo is even a discussion?
They have the 20th best record, while their core is so young:
Lewis 19
Ball 23
Alexander-Walker 22
Zion 20
Ingram 23
Is his father raising a stink behind the scenes, pushing his son toward the Knicks and threatens to take the QO, if they don´t let him go. What is going?