The Illawarra Hawks have struggled mightily to start the season — going 2-7 through nine games — but they finally caught a break on Saturday thanks to their Rising Star LaMelo Ball.
On Saturday, Ball scored a season-high 24 points on 9-21 shooting from the field, including 5-11 shooting from 3-point range, to lead the Hawks to their second win of the season. He also contributed nine assists, seven rebounds, and three assists. It took longer than the struggling Hawks would have liked, but Ball finally had his breakout game.
Following the Hawks’ 101-91 over the Cairns Taipans, Ball took part in his first walk-off interview of the NBL season, and he made it a memorable one despite saying few words. When Ball was asked if he thought he was the worthy of being the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, he didn’t hesitate to answer:
ESPN has Ball projected to go No. 3 overall behind Georgia Bulldogs guard Anthony Edwards and Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman, but a lot can change between now and the 2020 NBA Draft in June. Edwards, Wiseman and Cole Anthony may have more success with their respective teams than Ball has had so far, but the things Ball has been able to do against professional basketball players that are grown men shouldn’t be ignored, either.
We’ll get a better idea of how Ball stacks up against the elite college prospects as the NCAA progresses, but right now, he makes as good a case as any of them for the No. 1 pick, and he knows it.
