LaMelo Ball should be picked No. 1 overall
CHINO HILLS, Calif. (BVM) – The Minnesota Timberwolves have the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, a position many franchises envy. However, the Timberwolves’ front office is reportedly “confused” on how to utilize their coveted pick.
The skepticism is understandable when considering every one of the Timberwolves’ first-round draft picks in the last decade (for the exception of Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie) has been a bust or now plays for a different team. The tough decision also comes on the heels of trading for Jarrett Culver early in the first round of last year’s draft, who had a largely unspectacular rookie campaign.
With Gersson Rosas entering his second draft and season as Minnesota’s president of basketball operations, this new-look front office has the opportunity to rid this franchise of long-standing ineptitude.
Step one? The Timberwolves should select LaMelo Ball with the No. 1 overall pick in November’s draft.
Much has been made of Ball’s presence in the spotlight since his freshman year at Chino Hills High School. The California native scored 27 points as a 13-year-old in his varsity debut, became the youngest athlete to ever have a signature shoe thanks to Big Baller Brand and jumped around from prep schools to professional basketball all before his 19th birthday.
One constant throughout this whirlwind of a young basketball career has been Ball’s talent and productivity.
The playmaking point guard averaged 16.4 points and 3.8 assists as a freshman at Chino Hills which led to MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year Honors. Ball followed that up with a sophomore campaign where he averaged 26.7 points and nearly 10 assists before stints with the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL), SPIRE Institute and the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).
But Ball’s most recent stop with the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian-based National Basketball League (NBL) shows the evolution of his game and why Minnesota’s decision on November 18 should be a relatively easy one.
10 minutes of LaMelo Ball's best highlights from his @NBL Rookie Of The Year season!
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 28, 2020
Through 12 NBL games, Ball averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.8 assists and was named NBL Rookie of the Year. The 5-foot-10 Chino Hills freshman grew to 6-foot-7 while flashing the same elite athleticism, court vision and shot-making ability that had blue-chip programs like UCLA and Virginia hoping he chose the NCAA route.
While Anthony Edwards, James Wiseman, Obi Toppin and others each deserve top-pick consideration, none have the professional experience that Ball has. The 19-year-old has been the best player on the court playing against grown men in the LKL and NBL, while his No. 1-pick rivals have only seen the best of what their respective college schedules have had to offer.
Another advantage Ball has over other 2020 NBA Draft prospects is a big brother in the NBA. Because of New Orleans Pelicans’ guard Lonzo Ball’s experience with the pre-draft process and navigating the NBA, LaMelo has a host of information at his disposal that others don’t.
“He’s (LaMelo) in the same spot I was four years ago,” Lonzo told ESPN of the edge LaMelo has. “The only thing now is he is much more knowledgeable than I was. All the failures and negative stuff that I’ve been through, he’s already seen it and already knows about it.
“He knows the answers to the test before he even went into the class.”
LaMelo last week withdrew from the remainder of the combine and will not interview directly with teams after taking part in the media session and standard league interview. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Zion Williamson, sat out the combine altogether while second pick Ja Morant appeared only for interviews.
During his media availability, LaMelo made it clear that he doesn’t have a preferred destination.
“I feel I could play on any team and do good anywhere I go, so anything that happens, I’m positive,” LaMelo told reporters in a Zoom NBA draft combine conference call. “Anywhere is a great fit. I mean, it’s the NBA. You put me with good players, I feel like it’s even gonna be better.”
The Timberwolves’ trading for D’Angelo Russell in February gives credence to the idea that Rosas and the front office could go in another direction with the top pick, or trade back to acquire more assets. Using the No. 1 pick on a point guard whose game is so similar to Russell’s might not sound the wisest, but the NBA has turned into a guard-driven league.
The more ball-handlers you have with the ability to pass and shoot, the better.
LaMelo isn’t going to be a quick fix for a team that went 19-45 last season, but it doesn’t mean he can’t be the third piece to an All-Star core of Towns and Russell. It certainly doesn’t mean that the Timberwolves should do anything other than pick LaMelo No. 1 overall.
The last time Minnesota reached a conference finals was in 2003-04 when Flip Saunders was the coach. Now his son, Ryan, leads the Timberwolves, a franchise on the verge of a decision that could alter its futile history.
