By: Matthew Conciatori
Edited By: Nabil Haider
On November 18th, the 2020 NBA Draft was the first ever virtual draft in NBA history. As the Charlotte Hornets held the 3rd overall selection in the draft, it was clear that the team would be in a great position to select the draft’s most polarizing player. The 19-year-old point guard, LaMelo Ball, from Chino Hills, California.
Listed at 6’ 7” and 181 pounds, Ball was listed as the top prospect in the 2020 Draft class by ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony, despite dropping two selections. LaMelo’s brother, Lonzo Ball, was drafted three years ago as the 2nd overall selection to the Los Angeles Lakers. They are the first brothers in NBA history to both be selected in the top three.
Coming into the draft, LaMelo Ball had an already impressive list of accolades, that many other top prospects could not say they have. He scored 92 points as a sophomore for Chino Hills High School, became the youngest American to ever sign a professional basketball contract, when he played for Prienai in the Lithuanian Basketball League. Following his time in Lithuania, Ball took his talents to the Australian National Basketball League (NBL), where he started all 12 games for the Illawarra Hawks. Ball finished the year with 17 points per game (PPG), 6.8 assists per game (APG) while shooting a considerably modest 37.7% from the field. In that same season, Ball became the youngest NBL player to record a triple-double, when he recorded a stat line of 32 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds, in an impressive win over Cairns.
LaMelo Ball is always going to be a player in the league who has a lot of noise surrounding him, due to his family’s history in the media. However, that shouldn’t slow him down and be mistaken for what he can do on the court. After being on NBA GM’s radar since 2016, it is finally time to conduct a draft profile on the potential superstar.
Strengths
As a physically gifted guard prospect with plenty of aspects that contribute to his potential in the NBA, Ball has the potential to be a sharpshooting 6’7” facilitator along with the frame to get into the paint with ease. Additionally, LaMelo Ball’s picturesque passing ability shows teams how he is a virtuoso when the ball is in his hands. His height allows him to see over defenses, and he is renowned for making effortless reads in the pick-and-roll, which fits perfectly with the direction the NBA is headed in. Moreover, with his natural guard skills that he has displayed since he was a 13-year-old freshman playing alongside his brothers, he can easily be of benefit as a tempo-pushing combo guard for the Hornets, who last season ranked dead last in pace, per ESPN.
Furthermore, Ball is able to beat defences with ease even if they play him with different coverages, due to his profoundly adept feel for the game. If opponents throw multiple defensive schemes at Ball, he is able to adapt in situations and respond to defences, having been known for making electrifying passes out of blitzes and double-teams.
As a defender, Ball has occasionally shown the ability to jump passing-lanes and be a disruptor on the defensive end. His natural basketball-IQ of how-to run-down schemes and not get caught on the weak side of players is impeccable. Due to his frame, Ball is capable of covering opponents up to the small forward position as he continues to gain strength and coordination.
As soon as LaMelo Ball steps onto the court, his feel for the game is evident. Ball is capable of hitting defenders with a wide crossover as well having one of the best floaters amongst this draft class. Ball, including his brother Lonzo, are wonderful at creating separation against defenders. Ball has developed that aspect of basketball where he can open up drives and get closer to the hoop at will.
Ball has an array of skills within his arsenal. He possesses all of the mandatory passes for a lead guard in this league. From skip passes to the corner, to zipped swing passes with either hand, there is no pass he cannot make. The key word for his passing game is simply ‘flashy’. Types of passes like no look, behind the back, and over the shoulder… The passes Ball makes with regularity will make the league reconsider the status quo for ‘big-guards.’
Weaknesses
LaMelo Ball’s jump shot is not the most mechanically-sound, nor has it ever been the most consistent. Similar to his brother Lonzo, reconstructing his jump-shot may be necessary in order to become the sharpshooter he has the potential to be. His jump-shooting has lacked consistency throughout his professional career, per the numbers shown.
Ball shows struggles at the free throw line, similar to his brother, Lonzo. He’ll have to learn how to refine this aspect of the game, in order to be successful amongst the best of the best.
In terms of athleticism, Ball is considered to be below average and he doesn’t possess the explosive, quick-twitch first step compared to other NBA guards like Kemba Walker and Kyrie Irving. He mostly relies on his build being one of the bigger guards in the league, although NBA players are far more disruptive with their hands than anyone Ball has faced.
On the defensive end, Ball’s efforts don’t stack up too well. Ball can display stints of great IQ to diagnose offensive schemes although he does not seem to consistently put in the effort physically. He often fails to run through off-ball screens, and this laziness often translates into uncontested threes. He misses rotations frequently, and fails to take advantage of opportunities to create turnovers. However, as long as his top tier offensive game can overshadow his flaws on the defensive end, it may not prove to be as big of a deal. Although, as of now, it is something he has to work on in order to compete with league’s best.
Projected NBA Roles: Primary offensive initiator and/or versatile wing defender
NBA Comparison: Spencer Dinwiddie/Jalen Rose
Overall: LaMelo is single handily a top prospect in the 2020 draft. The Charlotte Hornets made a smart decision by taking Ball 3rd overall. As with any prospect in the NBA, there are always going to a fair number of weaknesses. You will rarely find an equally skilled guard with the size Ball possesses, although he does have room to improve in terms of perimeter shooting and consistency at the line. His fun-to-watch style of basketball will certainly bring in a plethora of ticket sales for the Hornets organization, in addition to the occasional antics his family has been known for.
The 2020-2021 NBA Regular Season plans to start December 22th, 2020 as the Charlotte Hornets look to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.
Matthew Conciatori
References
1. Fawcett, E. (2020, October 18). NBA Draft 2020: LaMelo Ball scouting report, strengths, weaknesses and player comparison: NBA.com India: The official site of the NBA. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://in.nba.com/news/nba-draft-2020-lamelo-ball-scouting-report-strengths-weaknesses-and-player-comparison/1f1rzhvlpmd07101wa40lpeigh
2. Basketball Reference. (2020, October 20). LaMelo Ball International Stats. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from https://www.basketball-reference.com/international/players/lamelo-ball-1/gamelog/2020/nbl-australia/
3. ESPN. (n.d.). 2019-20 Hollinger Team Statistics. Retrieved November 25, 2020, from http://www.espn.com/nba/hollinger/teamstats/_/sort/paceFactor
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