The last time the 76ers drafted a 6-foot-6 point guard with tremendous length, he turned out to be the rookie of the year. Since then, Michael Carter-Williams hasn't panned out to have anywhere near the success he had his initial season and then-general manager Sam Hinkie worked his magic to garner a first-round pick from the Lakers, which will be unprotected next year.
There is another 6-6, long point guard who, surprisingly, may be available when the Sixers draft at No. 3 on Thursday. Lonzo Ball has been tied to the Lakers ever since the team won the No. 2 pick at the draft lottery, but rumors have swirled recently that Magic Johnson, the Lakers president of basketball operations, may be looking to go in another direction and that Ball just may be there for the taking when the Sixers are on the clock.
Many could see a 6-10, 250-pound road block _ named Ben Simmons _ keeping the Sixers from seriously considering taking Ball. The team seems set on making Simmons the point guard at both ends of the floor, which may make some wonder how the two could share the floor.
Others would argue that with the style coach Brett Brown envisions _ a team that runs, shoots 3s and dunks _ having two extremely gifted passers on the floor at the same time would only enhance what he wants to do and that having a backcourt that big would cause major defensive mismatches for opposing teams.
It seems like a good problem to have, should Ball be there for the taking.
"A 6-6 guard with tremendous length who can pass like that? I'd take him on my team no matter what style of game we were playing," said one NBA executive who has seen Ball play numerous times. "With the way the Sixers want to play, I think you can't have enough passers. What they have to do is, and everybody knows it, is surround Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and Dario Saric with some shooters. And though his shot is strange mechanically, you can't deny that Ball is a good shooter."
During his lone season at UCLA, Ball averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 assists and 6 rebounds and made 80 of his 194 3s (41.2 percent). The right-hander's shot begins on his left hip, comes up through his chest and is released from the left side of his head. It is a form that undoubtedly has the likes of shooting guru Herb Magee cringing, but the result is usually a good one. The problem for him will be whether he can get enough space in the pros to get his shot off, as it takes a long time for him to get the ball from his hip up through to his release.
"The thing in college was, Ball could either create space to get off his shot because of his terrific ballhandling ability, or he would just launch it from, like, 35 feet before the defender was on him," said the executive. "In the pros, he won't be that guy who can rise up, like a Ray Allen, and shoot threes over people late in a game. If you're looking for that, he's not it. But he is more than a capable long-range shooter and should be able to get open looks either by his own doing or because Embiid and Simmons will get so much attention."
There have been players in the league who had strange shooting mechanics but managed to still be reliable marksmen. Kevin Martin spent 12 years in the NBA and was considered one of the better 3-point shooters, with a shot that came from in front of his face and was released with two hands. The list is full of players with poor mechanics who had shooting success, so that shouldn't be a huge concern.
Where it may hurt the Sixers is that if you have Ball and Simmons on the court at the same time, the pick-and-roll game may become extinct, as neither is a threat at shooting the ball off the pick; instead, both are mostly passers.
Ball is an elite player when it comes to transition, and that has to certainly entice Brown and president Bryan Colangelo. He seems to see the floor a second or two ahead of others, often throwing the ball to open spots for teammates to retrieve. Like Simmons, he may go down as one of the all-time elite passers the league has ever seen.
"His basketball IQ is tremendous," said the executive. "And the thought that he couldn't play with Simmons isn't true because Lonzo doesn't have to be ball dominant. Ideally, he just wants the ball to move and keep moving, so I don't see how those two playing together would be a problem."
Ball is also very good moving without the ball, which would be ideal for the Sixers.
The concern with his father, LaVar, probably won't be one in the NBA. Teams have dealt with parents since the league began and Ball has two other children who will be playing ball in L.A.
Besides adding some bulk, there really is nothing about Ball's game that is unlikable. Now that he may possibly be available for the Sixers at No. 3, it's a matter of whether they see him fitting in their system.
