[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

If they were both available in this draft who would be the more appealing prospect. Let’s assume that we only know what we knew about Lonzo before he was drafted in 2017, and have no knowledge of his nba career thus far.
These guys share some pretty significant similarities as players. They are both big guards with exceptional court vision. They both have great instincts and rebound the ball exceptionally well for their position. They both have mechanically unsound jump shots which impact their overall effectiveness as players.
However, there are also some notable differences. Lonzo struggled mightily with his shot in the nba, but he was actually a remarkably efficient shooter at UCLA. He is the far more disciplined player in terms of shot selection. He also showed himself to be a much more willing and competent defender.
Where LaMelo holds the clear advantage is in his ability to make plays off the dribble. He has showcased a much stronger ability to break down his defender and get to basket. He also navigates better in the pick and roll and could project as a more dynamic playmaker. He is better at getting to the rim and drawing fouls, and shoots better from the line. The issue is that he is an awful shooter from the field with terrible mechanics and also has a tendency to force shots. He has also shown no interest in defense so far, and there are questions whether he has the instincts to even be competent on that end of the court.
I know this is difficult because we already know who Lonzo is as an nba player but let’s just pretend we don’t. Who would you feel more comfortable drafting and why?

[bt102Participant]

Lonzo was the better prospect. I feel hindsight does cloud this, but 2017 was a lot more start studded than in this draft. The way Anthony Edwards is getting evaluated makes me feel that he would have been around were Isaac, Markannen, Monk, Smith area of the draft. Lonzo was seen as a potential #1 because of how high his floor was. LaMelo has more upside now, but his floor is still higher than Lonzo

[armchairgmParticipant]

Lonzo was looked at as a prospect with higher upside when he was entering the draft than Lamelo now.

[BKGingerSnapParticipant]

As prospects, Lonzo’s floor is much higher than LaMelo’s. Lonzo has always been able to make plays on defense. LaMelo’s tape in NBL makes him look like the potentially the worst defensive player in the league next season. LaMelo might be way better than Lonzo on offense I think LaMelo’s defense makes him not a top 5 prospect. I would take Edwards, Wiseman, Hayes, Hailburton, and Okongwu over LaMelo.

[OhCanada-Participant]

I find it crazy that we are even talking about teams picking LaMelo ahead of Haliburton. Thats just my opinion though, you gotta show me you can produce efficiently before your ready for the NBA.

[OhCanada-Participant]

I personally think its about the same. Lonzo had that broken shot which proved he had no inbetween game or pull up game. He also lacked floaters/runners which made it difficult for him to finish in the paint. Everyone knew scoring would be an issue for him.

Lamelo is a bit of a different case. His shot isn’t picturesque yet its not broken like Lonzo’s to the point where he can’t even shoot it if contested. He has alot more creativity finishing in the halfcourt and a more complete scoring arsenal however his shot selection is much worse and its hard to say if he can make his teammates better. He didn’t really leave a positive impression on the players with the Ilalwara Hawks.

I think BK Ginger nails it. Lonzo’s floor is higher and LaMelo’s ceiling is higher than his brothers was.

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