Let’s Debate: Can Isaiah Thomas and Lonzo Ball coexist on the Lakers?

In our newest edition of “Let’s Debate,” Jason Reed and Isaac Gutierrez and Jason Reed discuss Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas on the Lakers.

One of the league’s most talked about players, Isaiah Thomas, was recently traded to one of the league’s most talked about teams, the Los Angeles Lakers. As you would expect, the collision of these two media juggernauts has sparked even more discussion. At the center of this discussion is the big question everyone is asking, can Thomas play alongside Lonzo Ball?

This will be answered for certain in the coming weeks as we will soon see Lonzo Ball return from injury and play with Thomas for the first time. While we wait for that to occur, I sat down with LA Sports Hub’s own, Jason Reed, and debated this polarizing topic.

Jason believes that Thomas and Ball are simply not a promising combination going forward, while I fall on the opposing side of that opinion.

Let us know who you think is right about Thomas’ impending success, or lack thereof, with the Lakers in the comments below, or on twitter @LA_SportsHub.

Now let’s get right to it.

Isaac: Hey Jason, so where do you fall on the topic of whether or not Lonzo and IT can play alongside one another? I for one think they can.

Jason: While I do not think it will be as destructive of a partnership as we saw in Cleveland with IT, I do not think Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas will be able to give the Lakers the kind of production and results they would want.

Isaac: What is it about their games that makes you think they won’t compliment each other effectively?

Jason: Isaiah Thomas’ defense, in particular. Really, to make that partnership work they are going to have to play Thomas at the two guard and he simply is too much of a defensive liability. Sure, you can put Lonzo on the two guard on defensive possessions, but he will probably get bullied by 75% of the league’s starting shooting guards.

Isaac: Good coaching can prevent that. I think you offered the perfect solution, just have Lonzo guard the SG all game. Lonzo is a solid defender, surely he can do this just fine.

Jason: But the Lakers are already a bad defensively coached team. This is not Brad Stevens we are talking about, this is the Lakers who allow the third-most points per game. That is already an obvious problem with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the starting five. Bringing IT in is a massive downgrade from KCP in terms of defense.

Isaac: That is true, but on the other hand if they are already bad, adding IT doesn’t make that much of a difference. The team’s offense gets so much better by replacing KCP with him that it more than makes up for making them drop down a spot or two in points allowed per game.

Jason: I do not think IT’s scoring can make up for the defensive difference. He cannot score at a great clip like he used to. That hip is obviously bothering him and he is lacking his athleticism. Putting them together only seems to hurt everyone involved. Instead, the Lakers can let IT be the leader of the bench unit. With Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr gone they need that scoring off of the bench and that may be the only way IT can raise his production.

Isaac: I think pretty soon he’ll return to close to where he was. Now that he’s actually getting practice time and on a team more suited for him, I can see him being highly effective again.

But if they’re already third worst defensively, that’s not going to get any better. No matter what they will be awful defensively, so it makes sense to try and outscore opponents with IT.

And I don’t even necessarily think he has to start. As you saw in the last few games he didn’t start, but still ended up playing huge minutes as he played pretty much all of the 4th quarter. I think that’s where we’ll see him and Lonzo mesh extremely well together.

Jason: But he’s not scoring, that is the thing. The first unit is not built for him. The reason he was so good in Boston was that he WAS the offense. If the Lakers try doing that with him in the first unit it is only taking looks away from Ingram, Kuzma and Ball. Instead, throw him in the second unit at point guard with Josh Hart, who is a good defender and the offense can run through him. That is the only way he will work out on the Lakers unless they plan on benching Lonzo which is foolish.

Isaac: Who’s to say that he can’t succeed in both systems? He doesn’t have to be Boston IT to help this team. When he gets back into the groove, besides *maybe* Ingram, he is the team’s best offensive player, not having him on the court in crunch time is crazy talk.

Jason: Because that is the only place that he thrived! That team was built around him. He had one decent year in Sacremento and that was it. Plus, let’s say he was to thrive in LA, he NEEDS his athleticism to make up for his size. He obviously is not 100 percent and rushed back into playing to try and play for a max contract. I don’t think he is 100 percent and if he is then that hip injury will haunt him because he is noticeably different.

Isaac: That’s because Sacramento and Phoenix were awful situations for him. Of course, it won’t be on the same level as in Boston, but who’s to say he can’t find some level of success in LA? Just look at his first game. He had an efficient 22. If he can drop 20 points for the Lakers that will be enough to greatly improve them. And honestly, that’s not unrealistic

Granted he struggled the following two games, but that first game shows potential

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Jason: And he did that coming off of the bench!

There is no reason that Lonzo and IT should share the court for an extended period of time unless it is the last possession and they plan on using IT as a decoy or for the last shot. The cons outweigh the pros, at least in my eyes.

Isaac: He played 31 minutes, who cares if he was on the court for the opening tip, he still played a ton. Imagine if Lonzo was there to set him up for easier shots, he could do even better.

Jason: He played with the best facilitator in the NBA and couldn’t handle the fact that he was not the alpha on the team. I don’t like how that potential partnership with Lonzo will be, the negative impact, etc.

Isaac: He didn’t play well with Lebron because he needs the ball in hands a fair amount, something he couldn’t have with Lebron. But Lonzo is not a very ball dominant player. He makes very quick decisions and keeps the ball moving. Because of this he can compliment IT much better than James.

Jason: The last thing the Lakers need is a ball dominant guard, though. That is only going to hurt the culture change that the Lakers wanted with Lonzo Ball. They’re defeating their own purpose.

Isaac: I would 100% disagree with that. In fact, it’s exactly what they need. They need an alpha to lead all the young players, someone who can take over at the end of the game when a bucket is needed. By that logic, what do you think would happen if Lebron came this summer? He’s very ball dominant.

Lonzo is the perfect guard to play alongside a ball dominant scorer.

Jason: LeBron is ball dominant but makes his teammates better. Look at Clarkson and Nance in their few games there. I think you are overvaluing how good IT is and undervaluing how good Brad Stevens is. Stevens ran that team for IT, he is not fit to be this leader of young guys with his negative lockerroom track record.

Isaac: I for sure recognize how much Stevens helped him, and I don’t expect him to ever be MVP caliber again. But playing alongside Lonzo, who makes players better, he can still find success. He’s not the player you want to make people better, he’s the guy who can benefit from a player like, in this case being Lonzo. If he can be even the player he was before leaving Sacramento, he can be exactly what this team needs for the rest of the season.

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Jason: It just makes no sense because the argument here is that Lonzo can make him better, but if IT is being a ball-dominant guard, like you said, he won’t get Lonzo the chances TO help him.

Isaac: It’s not that Lonzo can make him better, it’s that they compliment each other perfectly. They can both help each other thrive. Lonzo doesn’t need the ball nearly as much as other guards to be effective.

Jason: I would disagree. I think it is more beneficial to give Lonzo those touches that IT will take to help him grow instead of giving so many touches to a rental player.

Isaac: It won’t hurt Lonzo at all. Just out of nature of his playing style Lonzo doesn’t dominate the ball. He makes very quick decisions and passes the ball around. He only has a 17% usage rate, for comparison, Dennis Smith Jr. has a 28%.

Jason: Well what about Ingram and Kuzma, then? And let’s not forget the defense. Yes, they are already bad, but they are WAY worse now.

Isaac: Kuzma shouldn’t be affected too much since he’s become the 6th man. While Ingram is effective being the lead man for the team, he certainly doesn’t need the ball to succeed. In the games since IT has arrived, he has played very well. And I understand the defensive concern, I suppose that comes down to us having different ideas on how the team can improve.

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Jason: Yeah, I guess so. At the end of the day, though, I think they’re best used if they can somehow stagger court time.

Isaac: Understandable. It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the coming weeks.