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Atlanta Hawks: The Ball the Hawks Don’t Want in Their Court

By Wesley Wilcox

Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lavar Ball, father of UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2), looks on in the stands before the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 4, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Lavar Ball, father of UCLA Bruins guard Lonzo Ball (2), looks on in the stands before the game between the UCLA Bruins and the Washington State Cougars at Pauley Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports /
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If you haven’t heard of LaVar Ball, then you aren’t on social media. Here is your guide to guile. And the Atlanta Hawks don’t want any.

Alright, so by now everyone who owns a hand held device or does not live under a rock has heard of the absurd story coming out of California regarding former Washington State basketball player LaVar Ball, and if by some chance you haven’t, spoiler alert. You’ve also heard of our Atlanta Hawks.

This saga began a few months ago when UCLA standout Lonzo Ball was beginning to make the rounds as a potential steal in the upcoming 2017 NBA Draft, but then his father opened his mouth. Lonzo this season has managed to put up consistent numbers averaging 14.6 PPG and playing 34.9 MPG, but not even these numbers can quiet the off court distraction his father is posing.

In the past few weeks Lonzo’s father has not only made it public that his son will only be drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers, that his son’s will only sign a billion dollar contract, but that he himself is better than Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley. Yes. The guy who averaged 2.2 PPG at Washington State and never competed in the NBA is saying he could defeat two of the games best on national television.

Is some of this just for press or even to garner attention around the family heading into the NCAA Tournament and the road to the NBA Draft? Possibly, but at the end of the day the Los Angeles Lakers can simply have the kid, and the drama that comes with it.

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While Lonzo may be a future NBA standout he still remains unproven on a big stage, and a prime example is his showing in the PAC-12 Conference Semi-Final loss against Arizona where he scored 8 points in 35 minutes with four turnovers.

Which brings me to my point regarding the Atlanta Hawks franchise. The Atlanta Hawks two years ago held one of the NBA’s best records, and reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to LeBron and the Cavs. This organization is built with talent all over including Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap, and Dennis Schroder, and has managed to stay away from the drama that has plagued the league this season.

Luckily, the Hawks are in position to make the postseason and will not be joining the lottery this season, but that does not mean the team won’t pursue one of Lonzo’s brothers in LiAngelo and LaMelo in the future. The NBA this season has proven to be a laughing stock, and the city of Atlanta wants no part of that.

Next: Georgia Football: Five Offensive Players Who Need to Breakout in Spring Practice

The future is bright for the city of Atlanta as the Hawks, Braves, Falcons, and United FC all look to end the world title drought. One thing is for certain: We will end the drought, but please keep the storm that is the Bell family out of it.

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