There are a lot of things that can be said about LaMelo Ball, but the one thing that can’t (or shouldn’t) be said about the 18-year-old is that he lacks confidence. It should come as no surprise, then, that Ball believes he’ll be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball hasn’t hidden the fact that he thinks he’s the best prospect in next year’s draft class, and during an interview with Krysten Peek of Yahoo Sports, he doubled down on saying he’ll be the first name called at the Barclays Center in June:
So, does Ball believe he should be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft? “Most definitely. I believe in myself and I’ve worked hard to get here,” Ball told Yahoo Sports. “The other guys at the top of the draft, James [Wiseman] and Anthony [Edwards], are very talented too. But just in the way I believe in myself, I think I’m the top pick.”
It’s usually LaMelo’s father, LaVar, that speaks things to existence, but the Illawarra Hawks guard will be hoping it runs in the family ahead of next year’s draft. LaMelo is as talented as any player in the draft, but some NBA teams are worried about his work ethic, his poor shooting percentages and, of course, his dad.
It’s likely that Ball will be a top-three pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, but if he’s going to be the No. 1 overall pick, he needs to address some of the concerns teams have. Luckily for Ball, the draft is still six months away.
