After initially jumping into the top three on lottery night, the Hornets found themselves lucky again on Wednesday. With both the Timberwolves and Warriors passing on LaMelo Ball, Charlotte snapped up the youngest Ball brother with the No. 3 pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Hornets were largely considered an afterthought given their position as the final of the top three teams with most expecting Ball to be selected with one of the first two picks. The team attended Ball’s workout the week before the draft alongside the Warriors and Pistons, a workout that seemed to ensure his spot in the top three.
Interestingly, it was a Hornets beat writer that began a snowball effect that Ball was slipping in the draft. Nearly a month before the draft, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported that Ball was “not performing very well” in “job interviews,” a vague enough report that led most to think Ball was falling in the draft. Obviously, that report, true or not, did not deter the Hornets from drafting Ball with the No. 3 pick.
Last season in the NBL, Ball averaged 17.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game in the 12 games he suited up. His shooting struggled all season long as he hit just 37.5% of his shots from the field, 25.0% of his 6.7 three-pointers per game and 72.3% of his free throws. Ball was also named the NBL’s Rookie of the Year.
