The Detroit Pistons have signed LiAngelo Ball to a non guaranteed contract.
As if this offseason wasn’t crazy enough, it was just announced that LiAngelo Ball has signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons. The contract is non-guaranteed, which is important to note.
Although the news has only been out for a short time, it’s largely assumed that Ball won’t be on the roster beyond training camp. Despite him technically fitting into the mold of what Detroit is trying to accomplish with their rebuild, it’s a long shot.
Ball has shared an unconventional path to the NBA similar to his brother LaMelo, who was drafted third overall to the Hornets just a few weeks ago. They duo played overseas in Lithuania for a brief stretch.
LiAngelo has had trouble establishing himself as a legitimate basketball talent. He found his way onto Oklahoma City’s G-League team this past year, but the shutdown prevented him from ever getting a legitimate shot.
There’s a reality in which he receives a contract to play for the Pistons G-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, but anything beyond that would be a complete shock.
The Ball brothers are known for having unorthodox shot mechanics, but LiAngelo’s are actually pretty smooth. He’s shown flashes of being a promising scorer, but that’s about it. He’s able to use his 6’5″ 230 pound frame to his advantage.
Similar to LaMelo, his lack of focus on the defensive end is what does him in. His inability to stay dialed in gets him beat on almost every drive to the basket. On a Dwane Casey led team, that’s not going to fly.
There are way too many question marks and way too many other important pieces to develop for this to be anything more than needing an extra body in camp. This is somewhat reminiscent of when Detroit offered J. Cole a contract.
Fans are excited at the idea of having a Ball brother on their team. It’s pretty fun in theory, but it just doesn’t make much sense.