LaMelo Ball is entering the NBA with a considerable advantage, mostly thanks to his brother Lonzo who debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers and now stars for the New Orleans Pelicans. The younger Ball is now in the league, picked from the draft by the Charlotte Pelicans and making him the No. 3 overall.
Ball was gunning for the No. 1 honor but the forecast did play out accurately, for the most part. Before the Hornets, the Minnesota Timberwolves get to choose first from the 2020 NBA Draft then the Golden State Warriors. None of the teams made clear Ball was listed on top so Charlotte picking the incoming NBA player came as no surprise.
Days before, the 19-year-old said he's gunning to be the top pick of his batch, insisting the role fits him perfectly.
"I feel like I'm just the right man for it ... I feel like I'm born for this whole thing going on," Ball declared, and per the report by ESPN.
The point guard also claimed working out with the teams lined up to choose first from the new lot of NBA hopefuls, which should explain his confidence of becoming the No. 1 pick. Indeed, he ended up the top pick but by the Hornets alone, and if it's any consolation, the team's decision was reportedly sanctioned by Michael Jordan.
That should tell that MJ, who is Charlotte's majority owner, has his eyes on Ball, and it's quite a big deal coming from the man widely acknowledged as the NBA GOAT.
Yet with or without Jordan's blessing, the Hornets tapping Ball's talent is a wise choice, CBS Sports reported. The new acquisition when completed will bring in scoring and playmaking capabilities, and they are aspects of the basketball game that will surely boost Charlotte's campaign next season.
The same report described Ball as a prodigious talent, and trumpeted him as "one of the best passers ever to enter the NBA Draft."
Ball is expected to prove that he is an NBA star and his spot in the league is well-deserved. The Hornets will gain from the point guard's brand of basketball that is deemed an improved version of Lonzo's. Most importantly, the younger Ball's passing skills will surely allow him to immediately make a mark in the game.
CBS added that in Ball, the Hornets stand to get an A-plus talent whose creativity points to a clear path of stardom. But Charlotte will need to work on plugging the holes in the player's game and foremost of which is his defense.
If Ball will work well with the Hornets, the chance is high that he'd end up as the best of his 2020 NBA class. Certainly not the No. 1 pick but possibly the biggest star of his batch.
