Younger Bawlers looking to travel

[Papa John]

The press thinks LaVar is a problem.

No they don’t. If they did, then they’d stop giving him air time. The press has the power to make Lavar disappear by simply ignoring him, but they refuse to do so.

[mgtr]

Just like Vince McMahon.

[awhom111]

Negotiations to allow the reality show cameras into the next league game have gone well so apparently they will play at 10:20am ET on Saturday. It should be broadcast here directly:
https://www.delfi.lt/video/transliac...d?id=76760129

Stats will pop up here:
http://www.lkl.lt/rungtynes/92

Their camp has decided against participating in the Next Generation Tournament, which would have been interesting from a basketball perspective.

[MartyClark]

No points for either brother.

Awhom, look forward to some context.

[BD80]

No points for either brother.

Awhom, look forward to some context.

Played a total of 15 minutes between the two, combined 0-7 from the floor.

Welcome to the "big" leagues.

[dudog84]

No points for either brother.

Awhom, look forward to some context.

They'll always have their reality show.

Don't cry for the Balls, DBR. (not sure if that's apropos, I never saw the movie)

[Duke95]

Grown men on this board rooting for kids to fail because they're mad at their dad for some reason. Smh.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Grown men on this board rooting for kids to fail because they're mad at their dad for some reason. Smh.

I look at it more as hoping this becomes an example for future parents that this road is a bad idea.

[awhom111]

No points for either brother.

Awhom, look forward to some context.

It was a tough game against a pretty solid team. The brothers took a picture with the Lavrinovic brothers from the other team after the game and the twins have essentially had longer pro careers than either Ball brother has been alive and that matters at this level.

I think that there was an expectation that they would score a couple points, but the game ended up being pretty close so their minutes were limited. As they continue to adjust, they should at least expect to not look out of place against other teams at the level of their teammates. Of course, due to the publicity involved, giving them time is not something that the general public will be willing to do.

They have two more exhibition games this week so they will get more playing time again. The next league games are at home against teams that are only slightly better than their team so it might be a chance to do something positive.

Apparently their camp has arranged for the international rights to the game broadcasts to be shown on Facebook, which is an interesting development too.

[CameronBornAndBred]

LaMelo has no earthly idea of what defense is. He looks like a kid wandering aimlessly around a playground on the other end of the court.

[CameronBornAndBred]

LiAngelo is doing well for himself. With a few minutes left, he has 22 pts and 6 boards. He is doing well from three and with contested shots. It is too bad he didn't stick with UCLA, he isn't a bad player at all. Maybe he can make something of his time overseas; I don't see it happening with LaMelo...he doesn't strike me as a team player willing to learn what it will take to make it. (Including playing both sides of the ball and not shooting simply because he has the ball from 50' out.) He's not the star he thinks he is.

[uh_no]

LiAngelo is doing well for himself. With a few minutes left, he has 22 pts and 6 boards. He is doing well from three and with contested shots. It is too bad he didn't stick with UCLA, he isn't a bad player at all. Maybe he can make something of his time overseas; I don't see it happening with LaMelo...he doesn't strike me as a team player willing to learn what it will take to make it. (Including playing both sides of the ball and not shooting simply because he has the ball from 50' out.) He's not the star he thinks he is.

weren't they playing some scrub team in the "big baller challenge" or something? I'll be complimentary when they do something in a game which isn't an exhibition.

[BD80]

... LaMelo... He's not the star he thinks he is.

But is he the star his dad thinks he is? That's all that matters.

I think he is easily as talented as Khloe Kardashian (to my credit, I had to look up her name).

[CameronBornAndBred]

weren't they playing some scrub team in the "big baller challenge" or something? I'll be complimentary when they do something in a game which isn't an exhibition.

Do you reserve comment on our players until after we play our pre-season exhibitions? Since LiAngelo never suited up in a UCLA uniform, I never got to watch him in a game that wasn't high school level to pass judgement. It was interesting to watch, and I got enough from the game to take away that he is decent enough to earn some minutes. I also got enough from the game to take away that LaMelo has a long way to go if he ever expects to be taken seriously.

[uh_no]

Do you reserve comment on our players until after we play our pre-season exhibitions?

pretty much, yeah...especially if the exhibitions were set up by one of the players' parents to specifically make that player look good...

and given they looked awful in their only real league game so far, I think i'd be tempered in my praise of the performance in this sham game.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ithuanian-game

[awhom111]

pretty much, yeah...especially if the exhibitions were set up by one of the players' parents to specifically make that player look good...

and given they looked awful in their only real league game so far, I think i'd be tempered in my praise of the performance in this sham game.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ithuanian-game

I have not seen the full stats for this one, the third exhibition, but it was against the toughest exhibition opponent yet. The first exhibition was against a team in the middle of the second division standings. The second exhibition was also against a youth team, which is in the middle of the standings in Lithuania's fourth division. That one was definitely false numbers for the brothers as they shot 51 of the team's 92 field goal attempts and shot 7 free throws. This exhibition opponent is the top team in the second division right now and is a team with players of all ages and the game was pretty close. Of course, how they play on Sunday is what really matters for their season. The problem continues to be that the family hype machine needs something from the brothers that is in opposition to what they need to learn how to be the best players they can be in the future.

[OldPhiKap]

I’m hoping the kids do well despite their father, as opposed to hoping they fail because of their father.

It is hard to extrapolate much from a game against a really poor opponent in an exhibition. Or any one game at all.

[NSDukeFan]

I’m hoping the kids do well despite their father, as opposed to hoping they fail because of their father.

It is hard to extrapolate much from a game against a really poor opponent in an exhibition. Or any one game at all.

You must be new to DBR. 😀 Duke can go from title contender to the coaching staff is out of touch and an NCAA bid isn’t guaranteed and back in a couple games.

[Billy Dat]

https://twitter.com/hoopshype/status/953275511211479040

LeMelo goes for the fast-break off the backboard self alley-oop and can't quite get er done. Those BBBs may be weighing him down.

[CameronBornAndBred]

This quote is going to keep me laughing all day.

Virginijus Seskus, head coach of BC Prienai, blasts the youngest Ball brother for his practice habits and shot selection last Sunday in a Lithuanian television interview, according to USA TODAY’s John Martin. Long-range shots are a key component of LaMelo Ball’s game, but Seskus would rather see the 16-year-old only follow his orders.
“When I watch them in practices, they stand out, especially the little one,” Seskus said, per USA TODAY. “You can’t control that little chipmunk. You say, ‘Don’t shoot 40-footers.’ Next thing you know, he’s shooting 40-footers.

https://nesn.com/2018/01/lamelo-ball...40-foot-shots/