New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball has a little warning for his younger brother, LaMelo Ball.
That warning? No more kid gloves.
LaMelo was taken with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night. Michael Jordan’s team essentially telegraphed the decision one day earlier, confirming to the media that LaMelo was their preferred choice.
During an interview on J.J. Redick’s podcast, Lonzo confirmed that he wouldn’t be going easy on his little brother the first time they faced off in the pros.
“We’ll see,” he said.
“We’ll see if my name is matched up against his. I know his game pretty well so it might be a tough night for him.”
Although it has been established that the new NBA season will commence on Dec. 22, the individual team schedules have yet to be released. That means fans will have to wait a little while longer to find out when the two Ball brothers will go head to head.
LaMelo is officially ready for the league. #NBADraft https://t.co/HDnFLQQqzJ
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 19, 2020
In the meantime, debates are running rampant regarding what sort of player LaMelo will ultimately be in the NBA.
Heading into the draft, Ball was viewed as a high-risk, high-reward option. He has a nice jumper that he can get off at any time, but needs to improve its accuracy.
Poor Kyle Kuzma out here catching strays. https://t.co/AoWC9QuGv6
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 18, 2020
He also has great ball-handling and court vision, but will almost certainly be a defensive liability at the start of his career.
That said, the youngest Ball brother has been a star from the jump. He helped lead Chino Hills to a 35-0 mark as a freshman and shared MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors with Onyeka Okongwu.
A year later, as a sophomore, he scored 92 points in a win over Los Osos High School. After leaving high school early and eventually landing with the Illawarra Hawks in Australia’s National Basketball League, LaMelo averaged 17.0 points on 37.5 percent shooting, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game.
Yikes. https://t.co/9PwWKJnIcH
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 18, 2020
It was a strong overall performance that left many excited about the prospect’s professional potential.
Ever since the departure of Kemba Walker to the Boston Celtics, Charlotte has desperately needed a brand name player to build around. A young star who can draw some positive attention to the organization, while also being a difference-maker on the court.
On paper – LaMelo fits the bill.
Will he end up being the franchise savior in reality?
Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.