Potential No. 1 overall pick LaMelo Ball has declared for the NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. The declaration is simply a formality as Ball was expected to enter the 2020 draft for quite some time.
The 6’7″ point guard opted not to go the traditional route on his journey to the league, playing in Australia rather than suiting up for a team in the NCAA. Ball only appeared in 12 games while playing for the Illawarra Hawks because of a foot injury, though he did well enough to earn the league’s Rookie of the Year award.
Ball, who averaged 17.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 7.0 APG in the NBL, with multiple triple-doubles, is viewed as a near-lock to be a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA draft, as our own Luke Adams recently explained. He’s currently the No. 2 overall prospect on ESPN’s big board and has reportedly tabbed Roc Nation for his representation.
In total, 205 early entrants declared for the 2020 draft, according to the NBA, though more than half will likely withdraw before draft day. Ball and fellow NBL prospects RJ Hampton and Kouat Noi aren’t counted among those 205 early entrants, having been listed in an “also eligible” section in the memo sent to teams by the league, tweets ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
ROY after 12 games? Sick standards.
It’s a 28 game regular season
He plays zero d. He’s another harden in the making
He wishes he was a Harden In the making, that’s some pretty high standards bruh.
Hate the ball family hope he busts
I don’t hate the Ball family, but I wouldn’t be terribly disappointed if LaVar were to undergo an orthodontic procedure that required his jaw to be wired shut for a little while.
He might go to NY, and they just hired a fancy agent as POBO. Delay that procedure!
U “hate” the ball family?? Lol it’s not that serious … the fam consists of two talented sons who can hoop & a annoying AAU type dad lol.. but hate?? U probably hate your own life
He does! Living a so very sad one, that you have to hate kids for their talent… I would too!
LaMelo is gonna be a star the guy is sooo good!
The dude can ball
OVERRATED …. plays no D, is right. I’m no Harden fan. But He is an all star. I doubt LaMello ever becomes one. Knicks ain’t taking him. He’s yrs away and NY don’t need the drama. Knicks should only be looking at Halliburton. Unless we get #1 pick. Then it should be Wiseman.
Ball is a very very raw talent. He could become a star but he is behind all other college players. He played in a league that is not talent. He blew it by not going to college and learning how to play team ball. he would have been good for the G league new program. Whoever takes him needs to develop him into a team player. that means probably staring in G league. If he is ruched to the NBA he will fail.
@arc89 NCAA sucks, anything is better, he actually is way ahead of other kids for playing down under & not wasting time in college!
For a bunch of basketball fans, does no one realize that Harden is a top 10 steals guy year in and year out? He may not be a lock down defensive player but no D? More like no clue from the peanut gallery
Defensive stats are tricky. A guy could be a great defender, but not get a ton of steals or blocks because they stick on their man real good and know how to rotate. Conversely, a guy could gamble for steals for sell out for a block, and give up easy buckets. It’s just hard to quantify.
Harden is quick with his hands, and is able to get a bunch of steals. However, I don’t think anyone thinks he is a great defender.
Agree with tjbarnaba, people just jump to the bandwagon, oh Harden doesn’t defend, lots of garbage the dude is good, but he shouldn’t defend, he wins games scoring & passing, guys who can’t do that have to play D, stars must not!
I think Harden is above-average defensively due to being flexible to defend in the lane, and often has to, given the small-ball setup. He can get more steals that way, being quicker, but gets posterized more often too. Not good for his reputation! But most guards do not get that assignment. Maybe Harden shouldn’t; I make light of it in criticizing the scheme.
Having declared for the NBA draft,
it’s clear that LaMelo Ball
has lots of
splanin to do
to
Lucille Ball
Most of these people are too young to get this reference. Lol
How is he going to compete in a full NBA season when he hadn’t complete a full season overseas with much shorter seasons twice? He is not worth the hype.
The Knicks should draft him he’ll fit in nice with that circus they have going in NY