Hoops

Naar better than Melo

"However this is what you went onto say "LaMelo will be a much better player than Naar, he isn't now." which was a stupid thing to say."

Not at all. In terms of professional basketball, how else would you measure someone's value than by how much they help their team? If we were talking about for a one-on-one tournament then Ball is better than Naar now, but we're talking about a professional team game.

As talented as ball is the Hawks seem to be doing better without him.

"How many coaches in the nbl would take Naar over Ball. I'd guess none."

Consdiering Ball will be gone soon (if not already) and showed he's not ready to contribute to a successful team and Naar could be with the team for 10 years and could be part of a future winning core, I'd say most would pick Naar.

Naar is 25, Ball 18, enough said. How many coaches in the nbl would take Naar over Ball. I’d guess none.

If we are talking just about stats or pure talent, then yes.

This is the perfect is example of how the league has put all of its effort into the short term benefit of media hype, over longer term goals such as providing pathways for Aussie/Kiwi players and putting competitive teams on the floor across the league.

Ball will be the better player over the course of their respective careers. On that there is little doubt, but Naar is a guy who will be in the league the next 5-10 years and we will see the best he has to offer, given the right opportunities.

Ball will be long gone by the time he's playing his best hoops, so too any of the short term hype he generated.

"Let me know when Naar has back to back triple doubles."

If we are talking just about stats or pure talent, then yes.

However, I'm talking about the ability to make a team better, and in the NBL, at the moment, Ball isn't better at that than Naar, who is superior at reading defences and running offences.

In the past four games, Illawarra are averaging 92.3 points at 48% from the field. They are 2-2, and +49 with Naar on the floor and -49 with him off.

In Ball's 12 games they went at 85.9 points at 42%, they were 3-9 and were -69 with Ball on the court and -25 with him off, which adjusted for time means they were a little better off with Ball on the court.

That isn't conclusive proof by any means, but it certainly fits the eye test that Naar runs the team better than Ball, despite not having near his individual talent.

"Why does it all have to be a comparison based thing!?"

Exactly, why should we go through this needless process of making comparisons? Each game we should just have an uncontested jump ball then go straight to the teams shaking each others' hands, content with a 0-0 result, because we shouldn't need to compare players nor teams.

LaMelo will be a much better player than Naar, he isn't now.

"Yes, Naar is a better fit for the Hawks but LaMelo is 10x the player Naar is."

LaMelo will be a much better player than Naar, he isn't now. Interesting comment above about the Hawks' defence. Having someone run organised offence like Naar does certainly helps your D, whereas unpredictable O like Ball sometimes plays can open up your d-trans.

Boone finding a bit of form certainly helped Naar look good as well. Naar can still struggle at the defensive end as well though gradual improvement has happened.

Different players but both like to pass.

Naar did well at college and is a good, composed point guard who can find the open player and, more recently, shown he can score himself. Maybe he's not the most athletic PG in the comp but he is smart and athletic enough. Maybe if he had the higher level of athleticism, he would've followed his college alumni into the NBA (you know, the ones he overtook on college assists record)

Lamelo is very composed for an 18-year-old, can create for himself, and looks for his team=mates. In fact, if some of them were catching and finishing the passes Lamelo gave, his assist stats would look even better (an extra 3 a game give him a double-double average). And stat padding? While his shooting percentage could be better, he does well in both assists and rebounds, and has pretty low T/O for someone who has the ball in his hands so much (on par with Casper and Bryce).

So, both are good players and I'm happy they are on the Hawks roster

Yes, Naar is a better fit for the Hawks but LaMelo is 10x the player Naar is.

The title was to draw in the Lamelo lovers, the post to make a point that the Naar is better than Lamelo on court for the Hawks.

Naar was good last night, Melo is going to be an nba star, why even try comparing them. Sydney were horrible on D last night and a smart player which Naar is will take advantage, not going to happen that often that the defence is that poor.

What do you mean when you say better floor general. I thought LaMelo is a more talented passer. Keep in mind the Hawks won last night because of defence. That's where the improvement has been.

Naar is a much better floor general than Ball, that's hardly controversial. He's seven or so years older than LaMelo with a lot more experience so it's hardly surprising. In seven years' time Ball is going to be very damn good!

Last season Naar showed great improvement as the year went on and was ready to step up this season, but obviously Ball wasn't coming to the Hawks to be a back-up so it set Naar back a little, but he's certainly making up for lost time.

Comparisons are all speculative unless you're talking about players filling a position on the same team because you see the results directly affected, the LeBron vs MJ comparison for example can only be opinion based with how you then weigh up the stats, Near vs Ball you actually watch the change from game to game.

Kings made Naar look like Steve Nash, he ain’t that good when you play good D on him.

Why does it all have to be a comparison based thing!?

Whispers starting to come out that the Melbourne Tigers have well and truly gone over the salary cap this season and the NBL are investigating.

They must be paying Flynn Ballinger Scott Rush and Goulding a tonne of cash each.

Greer Walker Tomlinson Odigie Burston would all be close to min wage.

Hope it's true and the league ban them from playoffs.