LaMelo Ball will be one of the few highly-ranked recruits to attend the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft combine, with other standouts like Obi Toppin, James Wiseman, and Anthony Edwards deciding to opt-out.
It’s pretty clear that the younger son of LaVar Ball is determined to change the narratives around him and his family, as he’s one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s unorthodox class given his questionable basketball IQ, poor defense, and lack of muscle.
Moreover, having LaVar Ball looming around will always be a concern, that’s why LaMelo was quick to shut down the narrative of the Golden State Warriors not being a good fit for him like his father said a couple of weeks ago:
“My old man, he’s his own man. He has his opinions, I have mine. Like I said, I feel like I can play on any team. Anywhere’s a great fit,” LaMelo told Anthony Slater.
LaMelo Ball said he doesn't agree with his father that the Warriors aren't the right fit for him at #2: "My old man, he's his own man. He has his opinions, I have mine. Like I said, I feel like I can play on any team. Anywhere's a great fit."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 28, 2020
Both LaMelo and Lonzo Ball have put some distance between them and LaVar. They finally understood that his father was only a distraction and a disruptive presence that wasn’t helping their careers or their reputation inside or outside the league.
There’s no denying in LaMelo Ball’s incredible talent as a scorer but he’ll need to be almost perfect in the combine to convince the Golden State Warriors, who are entitled to the second overall pick of the NBA Draft, to take him.
Even so, his father might be right just this time, as he’s not going to get many minutes with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back at full strength.
The New York Knicks, who got the 8th overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, are also doing their due diligence to trade up and get LaMelo. He, however, doesn’t want to get into that right now:
LaMelo Ball was asked if the New York Knicks have expressed interest in trading up to get him: "That, I don't know. Maybe, maybe not."
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) September 28, 2020
LaMelo looks like a much more mature young man right now. Obviously, that comes with all the experience he’s gotten from his days in Lithuania and New Zealand. That, according to him, helped him shape into the person he is nowadays:
LaMelo Ball: "When I was younger, I thought I'd take the traditional route [to the NBA]. But when I made that move to Lithuania, that's damn near when I grew up. I wouldn't change anything about [my journey]."
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) September 28, 2020
But what stays the same is Ball’s confidence. When asked about why he should be the first overall pick of this year’s Draft, he pretty much said that he’s the whole package:
LaMelo Ball was asked why he should be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft: "Talent, work ethic, all of the stuff like that…"
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) September 28, 2020
At the end of the day, you never know how a prospect is going to turn out. He’s been working his entire life for this and is used to being in the spotlight. Still, even his brother Lonzo Ball, who looked like a can’t-miss kind of talent, has struggled to live up to the hype.
