CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LaMelo Ball is one of the most polarizing players in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The detractors will call him cocky, flamboyant, immature, and unprofessional. They will ask questions about the level of competition in Australia and how his game will translate. They view him as a defensive liability, showing no desire to fight through screens while gambling too much for the showy play instead of sticking in his defensive stance and focusing on sound, team defense. One observer called his jumper “broken” and predicted it would take years to overhaul that funky, inconsistent form.
Will the lack of a consistent outside shot make it too much of a challenge in the halfcourt, with opponents going under screens and tempting him into ill-advised jumpers? Is he strong enough to finish through contact at the rim? In the spotlight his entire adult life, how would he handle early-career struggles? Can his loud-mouthed father be silenced, or will he become an incessant distraction?
Those questions must be answered before making such a large investment. Shying away from Ball would be justified given his many warts.
That’s the knock on this class. There are no sure things. You could poke holes in every prospect. Georgia’s Anthony Edwards has a chiseled NBA body with the athleticism to match -- a physical profile that has drawn comparisons to Dwyane Wade or pre-injury Victor Oladipo. But why was his motor so inconsistent? Why did he vanish for long stretches? Why, if he’s so talented and worthy of top-pick consideration did he not impact winning, with his team finishing with the second-worst record in the SEC?
A celebrated recruit, James Wiseman played just three games at Memphis and 25 of his 28 made shots were dunks, putbacks or layups. What are evaluators supposed to do with such a limited sample size? Oh, and he plays center, a position that has diminished greatly in value over the years.
Obi Toppin has the most complete offensive profile: A pick-and-pop weapon with repeatable shooting mechanics that led to 39% from 3-point range to go with incredible athleticism, making him a dunk threat and switch abuser. But he’s already 22, played in a weak conference and has a terrifying lowlight reel on defense because of tight hips, poor awareness and lacking lateral agility.
Isaac Okoro is considered the best, most tenacious defender in the draft, but shot just 28.6% from beyond the arc and 67.2% from the foul line.
Will Deni Avdija’s iffy jumper lower his ceiling? How much does the evaluation of Devin Vassell change because of his altered shooting mechanics? Does Killian Hayes have enough athleticism and ambidextrousness to thrive? Can Onyeka Okongwu’s offensive game evolve, allowing him to become the modern-day big? The list goes on and on.
Oftentimes, especially during draft season, the focus shifts too much toward what a player can’t do as opposed to what he can. Doing that with Ball overlooks his point guard mastery.
At 6-foot-6, with elite court vision, a high basketball IQ and ability to see over the top of the defense, Ball can make plays off the dribble others can’t. He’s the best pure passer in the class and could eventually become the league’s best. He can be responsible for creating a team’s offensive identity as a fast-paced, free-flowing joy machine. Even though he hasn’t shown enough desire on the defensive end, the tools -- size, length, athleticism, anticipation, lateral quickness, rebounding -- point to upside as a multi-positional defender.
There’s a strong likelihood Ball’s rookie year is a mixed bag -- dazzling dimes, head-scratching pull-ups like his high school days and defensive lapses. He may even drive his new coach bonkers, get yanked from games and turn people off with postgame comments. But Ball is only 19 and possesses a rare tool kit, one that typically doesn’t point to failure.
If he doesn’t maximize his full potential then he becomes a pass-first rotational player similar to Ricky Rubio (not bad) or Jason Williams (remember him?) or even his brother, Lonzo, who is still just 22 and coming off his best season with the New Orleans Pelicans.
But if LaMelo can fix his shot, become a better decision-maker with more experience and mature quickly, then he becomes a franchise-changing point guard.
There are a lot of ifs. But that’s the draft. It’s about upside. No one has more than Ball, making him a worthy gamble with the top pick.
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2020 NBA Draft: Is LaMelo Ball worth the No. 1 pick? How good will he be? -- Chris Fedor - cleveland.com
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