Getty LeBron James, being double-teamed by the Pelicans
In the annals of paternity, LaVar Ball deserves some credit. He is possessed of tremendous belief in the abilities of his sons, most notably Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. That belief often defies logic and expectation but it is consistent.
And when he spoke recently, on Complex’s “Load Management” podcast, about a potential playoff matchup between Lonzo’s current team and his former team, the Lakers, the elder Ball exhibited that same swagger—he predicted that the Pels would upset L.A.
It should be noted that, when the NBA suspended play because of the coronavirus in March, New Orleans was not in the Top 8 in the West standings. In fact, they were tied for 10th with the Kings, just behind the Blazers for 9th and 3.5 games behind Memphis for the final West spot.
Still, should the Lakers, with the No. 1 seed in the conference, get the Pelicans at No. 8, Ball said he knows how it would play out, referencing the 2007 series between the Warriors and the Mavericks, in which Golden State won despite Dallas being the top seed.
“Golden State upset Dallas many years ago,” Ball said. “Guess what? This time it comes back around. And it would have been time for the Pelicans to do that.”
Lakers Dominated Pelicans This Season
There are more than a few problems with Ball’s comparison, of course. The first is that the Warriors in 2007 were a good team, winners of 42 games and 16 of their final 21 games. They also had former Mavs coach Don Nelson at the helm, and Nelson had intricate knowledge of exploiting Dallas’ flaws. That showed in the regular season, when Golden State went 3-0 against the Mavs.
The Pelicans are 28-36 and were 0-4 against the Lakers this year.
Balls’ ideas for Pelicans strategy against the Lakers do not quite make sense, either. The playoffs, inevitably, slow down as defense gets tighter and possessions become more critical. Ball thinks his son, one of the players sent to New Orleans for star center Anthony Davis, could help erase that norm and give New Orleans an edge.
(Oh, he also referred to LeBron James as, ‘What’s-his-name’.)
“Here’s the thing, in the playoffs, it’s not an old man’s game, it’s a young man’s game,” Ball said. “AD and what’s-his-name, LeBron, they’re not gonna last. When you’re playing against a running team first, your legs are gonna be gone. It slows down because everybody says that. Until you have Lonzo in the playoffs. It’s supposed to slow down unless you have somebody to say, ‘We don’t slow down.’ If you’ve got a coach saying, ‘Go 100 mph,’ and you keep saying, forget slowing down, walking, speed it up. They’re going to speed it up for seven games.”
Ball Says Defending LeBron James is, ‘Very Easy’
There’s no doubt that Ball has played well in New Orleans, averaging 12.4 points and 7.0 assists, making 38.3 percent of his 3-pointers. He’s been especially effective since Zion Williamson got healthy and returned to action.
But LaVar Ball minimized the challenge of defending the Lakers, built around the James-Davis combo. At 112.6 points per 100 possessions, the Lakers have the fourth-ranked offense in the NBA. The Pelicans are 20th defensively.
LaVar’s advice: “All you’ve got to do is double-team AD and LeBron until they so tired, let somebody else beat you. Don’t let me coach, it’d be over. I’d be the first dude to press. … Nobody can guard LeBron 1-on-1. So therefore, double-team his ass, very easy. I’ll take the weakest person on the bench and say, ‘Double-team him every time.’ I don’t care who it is. It is very easy.”
If Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry needs to hear more, Ball said, he’s available for consultation.
“Take notes,” he said. “Call me. I’ll tell you how to beat him.”
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LaVar Ball: ‘Very Easy’ for Pelicans to Stop LeBron, Beat Lakers in Playoffs