There’s no question that LaMelo Ball will be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Ball could hear his name called within the first five picks.

The Atlanta Hawks are a team that could potentially land Ball, but he may not be the best fit in Atlanta playing alongside Trae Young.

LaMelo Ball developed into a top NBA draft prospect

With his older brother Lonzo Ball in the NBA, LaMelo will join his older brother pretty soon. The 6-foot-7 point guard has blossomed into a talented player and has caught the eye of many NBA scouts. LaMelo recently finished playing overseas in Australia with the Illawarra Hawks of the National Basketball League.

There was a lot of excitement when he announced that he would play in Australia, and he did not disappoint. In his first regular-season game, he scored 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. During his time playing in the NBL he scored a season-high 32 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds during a game in November. He became the youngest NBL player to record a triple-double.

LaMelo put together an impressive performance playing against experienced players. Through 12 games, he averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. He was named NBL Rookie of the Year. His draft stock rose after his performance in the NBL, and his skill set is something that stands out amongst other players in the draft.

LaMelo Ball and the Hawks may not be the right move

There’s no question that LaMelo Ball is talented and has a lot of offensive skills. He has a high basketball IQ, and he knows when to make the right decisions on the offensive side. When Ball gets to the league, he will get stronger and develop his game a lot. One area of his game that will need improvement in his defense.

According to Chris Kirschner of The Atlantic, some people in the Hawks organization believe that Ball is the best prospect in the draft. “There are some folks inside the organization who firmly believe Ball is the best prospect in this draft class, and it’s not close, and there are others who are against taking him because of the fit with Young,” Kirschner said. “From what I’ve heard, he’s not a total cross off for the Hawks, but a lot more evaluation and talks are going to have to happen to get everyone in agreement for him to be the choice.”

Why LaMelo Ball won’t fit with the Atlanta Hawks

Even though Ball has a lot of talent and teams are high on him as a player, he most likely won’t be the best fit for the Hawks. The Hawks have a franchise player in Trae Young who has proven that he’s one of the best point guards in the league. If the Hawks draft Ball, it would be a challenge to see how he and Young will coexist.

Ball is a playmaker, and with the basketball in his hands, he can make plays for himself and his teammates. Young is the Hawks’ primary ball-handler, and he knows how to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. Though Ball and Young are two talented players, having them on the same team may not be the best idea. Ball is a player that has always had the basketball in his hand at the point guard position.

He’s the type of player that can start on an NBA team, but if he goes to the Hawks, he could come off the bench with Young at the point guard position. However, the Hawks could potentially start Young and Ball if they did draft Ball. Who knows how that would affect the Hawks lineup if that did happen? But the Hawks aren’t completely sold on Ball just yet.