By Jack Fritz, Sports Talk Philly editor
Well aren't we so lucky?!
The Sixers may or may not get the honor of getting a workout from the prestigious Lonzo Ball. Supposedly, the Sixers and Ball's agent are going to meet in the next couple of weeks to discuss the direction of the team and Ball's fit on the team.
A final decision will be made once Ball's agent, Harrison Gaines, and Sixers general manager Bryan Colangelo have had an extensive conversation centered on the identity of the team, sources told ESPN.
With Ben Simmons expected to be the ball-dominant point forward for this team, concerns from Ball's camp are justified. Ball is at his best with the ball in his hands in transition, which is also Simmons' greatest strength. However, according to team sources in the report, the Sixers believe these two could mesh at a very high level, and I agree to an extent.
These two would shred teams apart in transition and from a team building mindset, I can't get enough "read-and-react" players on the court. The NBA now more than ever is thriving on ball movement and creating open shots for teammates. The Warriors are fantastic on their own but what sets them apart if their historic ball movement. Having two of the most gifted passers to come out in recent memory would give the Sixers a chance to emulate what the Warriors have. The problem here is whether or not you believe Ball's shot is for real. If you think he can get that funky delivery off in the league then he can probably play off-ball next to Simmons. If you don't think that shot is for real it's hard to take Ball. I tend to lean towards it's more real than not. I'm also firmly in the camp of take the extremely talented passer to pair with the other generational passer and figure it out from there. If only his Dad wasn't such a pain.
There's also another theory here.
Are we sure the Lakers are locked in on Ball at #2?
Maybe his agent went to his family and is saying, "Listen, it's no guarantee, you might want to give other teams a look."
They should be working out for other teams anyway, but man, would it be sweet to see the Lakers pass just to see Lavar's face.
Either way, this should be one to watch in the next couple of weeks. If the Sixers to get a workout from Ball, I think that symbol's the Lakers aren't dead set on taking the former UCLA standout.
