37% from deep last year. He’s a quality shooter who takes too many bad shots. The hope is that’s a function of a shitty offense with shitty teammates and not a feature of who he is. But that remains to be seen.
His year to year 3 pt %'s are all over the map. He could end up anywhere from 34 to 38%
Right. And I think that’s a function of bad shot selection. When he shoots under control, he has good mechanics and touch. But he shoots a lot of very low-percentage, bad, off-balance junk too.
Settling him down to be a consistent player is Finchy’s challenge.
But do you trust it will happen? I dont.
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
His year to year 3 pt %'s are all over the map. He could end up anywhere from 34 to 38%
Right. And I think that’s a function of bad shot selection. When he shoots under control, he has good mechanics and touch. But he shoots a lot of very low-percentage, bad, off-balance junk too.
Settling him down to be a consistent player is Finchy’s challenge.
But do you trust it will happen? I dont.
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
No idea. That’s the gamble. Connelly knows more about him than I do. But he’s not exactly batting 1.000.
Best case: We a championship contender with a few minor tweaks
Realistic case: We’re not much better or worse, but a more uptempo, wild style.
Worst case: He’s hurt a lot and this blows up in our faces
I don’t know if this will pay off, but I’ll hand it to Connelly. He has stones.
Last edited by Beef Supreme on Fri Jun 26, 2026 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“‘Freedom’ is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”
His year to year 3 pt %'s are all over the map. He could end up anywhere from 34 to 38%
Right. And I think that’s a function of bad shot selection. When he shoots under control, he has good mechanics and touch. But he shoots a lot of very low-percentage, bad, off-balance junk too.
Settling him down to be a consistent player is Finchy’s challenge.
But do you trust it will happen? I dont.
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
Ive seen some comparisons to DLo, I can see the parallels, but I think the big difference is DLo was brought in to help take a losing team to the next step. The culture sucked, and there was no veteran leadership outside of patch work vets. LaMelo is coming in to a much different situation to a team that has made deep playoff runs the last three years, and established leadership
Right. And I think that’s a function of bad shot selection. When he shoots under control, he has good mechanics and touch. But he shoots a lot of very low-percentage, bad, off-balance junk too.
Settling him down to be a consistent player is Finchy’s challenge.
But do you trust it will happen? I dont.
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
Ive seen some comparisons to DLo, I can see the parallels, but I think the big difference is DLo was brought in to help take a losing team to the next step. The culture sucked, and there was no veteran leadership outside of patch work vets. LaMelo is coming in to a much different situation to a team that has made deep playoff runs the last three years, and established leadership
The knucklehead comparison is fair, I think. But their games and bodies are very different. Russell was 6-3. Ball is 6-7.
They both take way too many bad shots.
“‘Freedom’ is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
Ive seen some comparisons to DLo, I can see the parallels, but I think the big difference is DLo was brought in to help take a losing team to the next step. The culture sucked, and there was no veteran leadership outside of patch work vets. LaMelo is coming in to a much different situation to a team that has made deep playoff runs the last three years, and established leadership
The knucklehead comparison is fair, I think. But their games and bodies are very different. Russell was 6-3. Ball is 6-7.
Ive seen some comparisons to DLo, I can see the parallels, but I think the big difference is DLo was brought in to help take a losing team to the next step. The culture sucked, and there was no veteran leadership outside of patch work vets. LaMelo is coming in to a much different situation to a team that has made deep playoff runs the last three years, and established leadership
The knucklehead comparison is fair, I think. But their games and bodies are very different. Russell was 6-3. Ball is 6-7.
The knucklehead comparison is fair, I think. But their games and bodies are very different. Russell was 6-3. Ball is 6-7.
They both take way too many bad shots.
I'm telling you, Ball is Luka lite
….
Dude.
Very similar games. Both high usage, high volume 3 point shooters who control the game. Their career 3 point percentages are basically identical with Ball's slightly better. Neither is lights out from 3, but have the ability to go nuts when on fire. Both very gifted passers that excel with a rolling big. Both rebound the basketball well from the backcourt. Both suck at defense and are frequently injured.
Like I said before, the HUGE difference between the two is between the ears.
But in terms of their games, there are a lot of similarities there. So, Luka lite.
Yeah. Now the dust has settled, the Wolves fleeced the Hornets.
We got Lamelo for Naz and 1 first round pick. The pick swaps don’t add up to dick because the Woofs are gonna be the better team.
If you go back and revisit the 2020 draft, we now have the 1st, 4th, and 6th best players from that draft class on our starting roster.
Also - This notion that the Woofs are somehow a dumber team with Lamelo is a dumb take. Lamelo has a goofy, unorthodox style but I don’t think he’s a dumb player. Julius and Naz are very talented players, with unique skill sets. I wouldn’t consider either one of them as ‘smart players’ though.
Ive seen some comparisons to DLo, I can see the parallels, but I think the big difference is DLo was brought in to help take a losing team to the next step. The culture sucked, and there was no veteran leadership outside of patch work vets. LaMelo is coming in to a much different situation to a team that has made deep playoff runs the last three years, and established leadership
The knucklehead comparison is fair, I think. But their games and bodies are very different. Russell was 6-3. Ball is 6-7.
They both take way too many bad shots.
I'm telling you, Ball is Luka lite
Please don't mention Ball with Luka. Luka is a generational scorer, with rebounding and assist.
Ball is more like a better Austin Reeves with assist lol.
huh??? this statistical comparison says zilch about your conclusion. You could literally do this with any two players and say "blank lite" and it would mean as much or as little.
huh??? this statistical comparison says zilch about your conclusion. You could literally do this with any two players and say "blank lite" and it would mean as much or as little.
It's the similarities in their games, not just the stats. Feel free to read the original post
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 9:41 pm
Yeah. Now the dust has settled, the Wolves fleeced the Hornets.
We got Lamelo for Naz and 1 first round pick. The pick swaps don’t add up to dick because the Woofs are gonna be the better team.
If you go back and revisit the 2020 draft, we now have the 1st, 4th, and 6th best players from that draft class on our starting roster.
Also - This notion that the Woofs are somehow a dumber team with Lamelo is a dumb take. Lamelo has a goofy, unorthodox style but I don’t think he’s a dumb player. Julius and Naz are very talented players, with unique skill sets. I wouldn’t consider either one of them as ‘smart players’ though.
Exactly. Ive seen enough stupidity from Naz and Randle than I care to even remember.
Also, most of the people bagging on Lamelo didnt even pay attention to him last year and just want to hate the guy, which admittedly is easy to do. But those that watched him last year, will agree he was one of the most improved players in the league.
I will say I think PG in the NBA is the 2nd hardest position to play in all sports other than NFL QB. It takes awhile for most players to figure it out and it sure looks Lamelo is on that path.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 9:41 pm
Yeah. Now the dust has settled, the Wolves fleeced the Hornets.
We got Lamelo for Naz and 1 first round pick. The pick swaps don’t add up to dick because the Woofs are gonna be the better team.
If you go back and revisit the 2020 draft, we now have the 1st, 4th, and 6th best players from that draft class on our starting roster.
Also - This notion that the Woofs are somehow a dumber team with Lamelo is a dumb take. Lamelo has a goofy, unorthodox style but I don’t think he’s a dumb player. Julius and Naz are very talented players, with unique skill sets. I wouldn’t consider either one of them as ‘smart players’ though.
When you take logo threes but ain't Curry and take HIGHLY contested threes like they are going out of style, you are inherently dumb.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 9:41 pm
Yeah. Now the dust has settled, the Wolves fleeced the Hornets.
We got Lamelo for Naz and 1 first round pick. The pick swaps don’t add up to dick because the Woofs are gonna be the better team.
If you go back and revisit the 2020 draft, we now have the 1st, 4th, and 6th best players from that draft class on our starting roster.
Also - This notion that the Woofs are somehow a dumber team with Lamelo is a dumb take. Lamelo has a goofy, unorthodox style but I don’t think he’s a dumb player. Julius and Naz are very talented players, with unique skill sets. I wouldn’t consider either one of them as ‘smart players’ though.
The pick swaps are more likely nothing than something. Unless we get ravaged by injury, we should be better than Charlotte for a while. Injuries are possible, but especially with Ball’s history, but I think it’s okay to take a risk.
I don’t think that Ball is “dumb” in a “JR Smith not knowing the score of a finals game in crunch time” way, but I do think it’s fair to question his professionalism, seriousness, focus, commitment to defense, and toughness. And some of those things are things the wolves have been struggling with. So Ball seems unlikely to be the catalyst for reversing those trends. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have made the trade. I don’t like Ball, but I see the logic. As I said when it was just a rumor, his skillset is perfect for the team’s needs. That’s appealing. But we shouldn’t let that blind us to the realities of who has been so far in the NBA. Charlotte is letting him go cheaply for a reason.
“‘Freedom’ is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”
Right. And I think that’s a function of bad shot selection. When he shoots under control, he has good mechanics and touch. But he shoots a lot of very low-percentage, bad, off-balance junk too.
Settling him down to be a consistent player is Finchy’s challenge.
But do you trust it will happen? I dont.
If he cuts down the bad shots by 50%, and plays at least 60 games EVERY season and is healthy for playoffs, then it becomes a great trade. But i need to see it for two straight seasons to believe it. Honestly i would prefer if he dropped his shot attempts and eliminated his bad shots and did more fake out offense with lots of drive and kicking. And had a stat line like 17/6/9 on 44/38/85
No idea. That’s the gamble. Connelly knows more about him than I do. But he’s not exactly batting 1.000.
Best case: We a championship contender with a few minor tweaks
Realistic case: We’re not much better or worse, but a more uptempo, wild style.
Worst case: He’s hurt a lot and this blows up in our faces
I don’t know if this will pay off, but I’ll hand it to Connelly. He has stones.
Ball is the better player. If no injuries, and both Ball and Naz play their best, we win the trade.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 11:25 pm
Joan Beringer is going to be the starting Center before too long. Lamelo is gonna be a great PG for him.
It looks like the Wolves love Beringer’s potential because they traded away 2 starting caliber bigs. I believe this offseason will be huge for his development.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 11:25 pm
Joan Beringer is going to be the starting Center before too long. Lamelo is gonna be a great PG for him.
It looks like the Wolves love Beringer’s potential because they traded away 2 starting caliber bigs. I believe this offseason will be huge for his development.
Can he guard PF so he could see some time at that spot with Gobert still on the floor?
if this forum is a microcosm of the fan base then I can envision a lot of whining in the twitterverse when there's a bad game. Julius Randle like. oh well.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 9:41 pm
Yeah. Now the dust has settled, the Wolves fleeced the Hornets.
We got Lamelo for Naz and 1 first round pick. The pick swaps don’t add up to dick because the Woofs are gonna be the better team.
If you go back and revisit the 2020 draft, we now have the 1st, 4th, and 6th best players from that draft class on our starting roster.
Also - This notion that the Woofs are somehow a dumber team with Lamelo is a dumb take. Lamelo has a goofy, unorthodox style but I don’t think he’s a dumb player. Julius and Naz are very talented players, with unique skill sets. I wouldn’t consider either one of them as ‘smart players’ though.
When you take logo threes but ain't Curry and take HIGHLY contested threes like they are going out of style, you are inherently dumb.
How many bad shots and logo 3's does he take per game? I guess I really haven't seen this in volume.
Good or bad, like or hate, this deal is another transformative move in the quest for a championship. The Gobert deal and the Randle deal both came with risks, pros/cons, etc. All are/were taking iterative swings at evolving the team at a contender level while moving KAT (an all-time great TWof) and now Naz (an all-time cult TWolf). Current organization is very different from the historic.
Last edited by populousample on Sat Jun 27, 2026 9:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jimi_Thing wrote: ↑Fri Jun 26, 2026 11:25 pm
Joan Beringer is going to be the starting Center before too long. Lamelo is gonna be a great PG for him.
It looks like the Wolves love Beringer’s potential because they traded away 2 starting caliber bigs. I believe this offseason will be huge for his development.
Can he guard PF so he could see some time at that spot with Gobert still on the floor?
It looks like the Wolves love Beringer’s potential because they traded away 2 starting caliber bigs. I believe this offseason will be huge for his development.
Can he guard PF so he could see some time at that spot with Gobert still on the floor?
Yes
Nope, how much do they weigh together. They will get tossed around and in foul trouble within minutes. Jaden too.
We need to find a beef dawg for the starting spot. That person doesn't need to score, just box/body people.
Can he guard PF so he could see some time at that spot with Gobert still on the floor?
Yes
Nope, how much do they weigh together. They will get tossed around and in foul trouble within minutes. Jaden too.
We need to find a beef dawg for the starting spot. That person doesn't need to score, just box/body people.
What’s Charles Oakley up to these days?
“‘Freedom’ is the freedom to say that two plus two make four.”
