LaMelo Ball Makes Surprising NBA Draft Decision
LaMelo Ball made a surprising NBA Draft decision this week.
Ball, 18, is reportedly official done with the National Basketball League in New Zealand and will now begin preparing for the big leagues.
Ball hurt his foot earlier this year. Although the injury has seemingly healed, he will not be returning to the Illawarra Hawks.
“Melo’s foot is totally healed, but the doctor’s policy is if you’re out for six weeks, you must rehab for six weeks,” the youngster’s manager, Jermaine Jackson, said in a statement.
“He’s starting court work tomorrow.”
LaMelo Ball’s time playing in the NBL is over. “Yeah he’s done,” his manager, Jermaine Jackson, told me this evening.
— Olgun Uluc (@OlgunUluc) January 16, 2020
Ball is widely regarded as a top three-to-five pick in the looming 2020 NBA Draft.
Over the course of his time with the Hawks he averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists.
Although Ball is largely recognized as a superior talent, questions about how he will transition to the NBA do still linger.
Multiple scouts told ESPN recently that Ball is “the most talented prospect” coming out this year, but that he has a “significant amount of work to do to convince teams he will reach his full potential.”
Among the concerns that exist about the 18-year-old are his work ethic, how much involvement his father had and his overall health.
The Bleacher report is currently projecting that Ball will go to the New York Knicks with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. USA Today has him going to the Golden State Warriors with the top overall selection.
Related: Jason Garrett Officially Landing New NFL Job
Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
