Examine ESPN’s latest mock draft and you’ll find a surprising name in the top 3. Jonathan Givony has LaMelo Ball going No. 3 overall in his latest piece and the scribe hears that Ball might end up being in contention for the No. 1 overall pick next summer.
“If he keeps this up, I don’t see any way he isn’t in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick,” one NBA executive told Givony. “He completely changed my perception of the type of prospect he is, and all of the background info I gathered here from his coaches and teammates paint a very different story of what I thought about him off the court as well.”
Ball, who is the younger brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, is spending the year playing for the Illawarra Hawks in NBL. Many around the Australian league believed that the club was taking a big risk bringing in Ball, whose father has been deemed a media distraction in the past. However, it’s been all been all positive for Ball in Australia, and scouts are raving about his game.
“He reminds me of Luka Doncic,” a scout said. “Just in terms of his size, his feel and his creativity. … He plays with incredible pace. He’s never sped up. He’s never rattled by anything that’s thrown at him. …You’re expecting something magical to happen every time he has the ball. He sees everything. He can make every pass with either hand off a live dribble. His style of play is tailor-made for the NBA game, especially if you surround him with shooting and better finishers.”
The NBL doesn’t have the kind of talent found in the NCAA, although Ball is playing alongside fellow NBA prospect R.J. Hampton abroad. The league continues to grow, and with that, comes an increased level of play.
Washington big man Isaiah Stewart, Memphis center James Wiseman and Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards are among the prospects expected to compete for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft. As far as point guards, Ball is expected to be among the best available.
“It’s a talented field,” an executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. “But he’s got the most potential.”
