LaMelo Ball Is Destined to Become the Third Splash Brother on the Warriors
The 2020 NBA draft is fast approaching. On June 25, 60 young players will hear their names called and start their professional basketball careers. The most polarizing, and maybe the most talented, of that bunch is none other than LaMelo Ball.
Lonzo’s brother spent the last year playing in the National Basketball League in Australia with the Illawarra Hawks, and he’s a top prospect heading into the draft later this month. As it stands now, the Golden State Warriors are in the best position to nab the No. 1 overall pick. If they do, the Dubs should select Ball to transform the Splash Brothers into the Splash Triplets.
LaMelo Ball won Rookie of the Year in the NBL
LaMelo Ball bypassed college to play professionally in Australia for a season. Many questioned the move initially, but his time in the NBL clearly helped his development.
In his first and only season in the NBL, Ball was named Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season. He scored 17.0 points, dished out 7.0 assists, and grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game for the Illawarra Hawks.
His numbers are eerily similar to his brother, Lonzo’s, from this season. Lonzo averaged 12.4 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game for the Pelicans this year. Both players have a high basketball IQ and can impact the game in so many ways.
LaMelo’s passing and finishing abilities are far ahead of his shooting prowess at this point in his basketball career. All he needs is a consistent outside shot to dominate in the NBA for years to come.
The Warriors would be a perfect landing spot for LaMelo Ball
Ball’s vision and ability to fit passes in tight windows make him one of the best prospects in the 2020 NBA draft. He’s also an efficient one-on-one driver and finisher in traffic, but his three-point shot still needs work.
Who better to learn from than the most prolific shooting backcourt in NBA history. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, aka the Splash Brothers, changed the game of basketball as we knew it with their quick-trigger jumpers and incredible range.
When it’s all said and done, Curry and Thompson will be considered two of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Slide Ball in the lineup with those two, and he can rack up insane assist numbers while working on his shot in practice.
Curry and Thompson would be the perfect backcourt for Ball to learn from.
Who else could the Warriors target in the first round of the NBA draft?
Reports out of Golden State say the team isn’t sold on Ball as a prospect. He’s a flawed player, sure, but his potential might be higher than any other prospect in the 2020 NBA draft.
Another option for Golden State if it ends up with the No. 1 pick is Anthony Edwards out of Georgia. Edwards averaged 19.1 points per game for the Bulldogs last season, but he shot 29 percent from three-point range. Ball has a higher potential to become a lethal shooter than Edwards does.
James Wiseman is another promising young player the Warriors could target later this month. Wiseman played just three games in college, but he showed all he needed to in his short time at Memphis. But, like Edwards, he’s a non-factor as a deep shooter.
The Warriors won three championships in four years by focusing on the three-point shot. LaMelo Ball has the best opportunity to become the effective shooter Golden State is always looking for, and he can contribute as a passer until he improves his jumper.
Golden State would be foolish not to add Ball and develop him into the third Splash Brother in the Bay Area.
All stats courtesy of the NBL and Basketball-Reference
