just got mine from ndc and here are my thoughts from trying them on and running around the house:
- the outsole has pretty nice traction and has a good bite to it but those treads won't last. i won't comment on how they stack up vs the 8 or 9 since i haven't played in them but they seem like they won't slip on any kind of surface.
- the cushioning was a lot more comfortable than i thought they would be. that heel zoom bag doesn't have that springy feeling even though it's under the lunar. the TPU midsole is softer than i thought which was pretty nice. overall, the lunar feels more or less the same than the 8 and 9. i still put both above the X though.
- the upper was a disappointment as expected. it definitely is a fuse with mesh overlay. i wondered why they didn't just call it fuse? in fact, it's worse than hyperfuse because these don't even have vents! it's not as rigid as i expected it but it flexes unnaturally with your foot.
- lockdown and support were there. my feet felt secure and lacing them was just fine for me. the tongue had enough padding in it to keep the lace pressure off my instep.
- heel to toe transition felt clunky. maybe this is because i haven't played in them but i felt like the bulky midsole combined with the weird upper just made it feel running in a low-cut boot.
overall, it's a comfortable shoe but definitely not an upgrade from the 8 or the 9. there was a distinct disconnect from my feet and the shoes, and it didn't feel like an extension of my feet. perhaps it needs more break-in time (something everyone didn't have to go through with the previous two models) but i'm not willing to eat the cost of this shoe to find out. these are going back to nike and i'll wait for a discount if anything or maybe wait for the flyknit version.
btw my stats are: 5'5" 145lbs slim build. PG/SG slashing, pull-up and spot up shooting. kobe 8 and 9 are my go-to's.
tl;dr: returning these and might pick these up for deep discount.
hope this helped.