Since the moment he took the floor for the Illawarra Hawks, LaMelo Ball has looked like one of the best players in the NBL and — coincidentally — one of the best NBA prospects on the planet, and it seems the right people are starting to take notice.
ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony posted his report from the NBL Blitz in Tasmania on Tuesday and one scout he talked to said Ball reminds him of last season’s Rookie of the Year, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks.
“He reminds me of Luka Doncic,” a scout said. “Just in terms of his size, his feel and creativity.”
The irony is that, like Ball, Doncic entered the draft as one of the best prospects overseas. However, Doncic was also the most decorated player by the time draft night rolled around, having won the EuroLeague MVP, the Liga ACB MVP, the EuroLeague championship and the Liga ACB championship. Outside of the NBA, Spain’s Liga ACB is widely regarded as the best basketball league in the world.
While it obviously won’t be on the same scale, Ball will have a chance to replicate the success Doncic had overseas in Australia and solidify himself as a top-three prospect in the 2020 NBA Draft. Givony had Melo going No. 3 overall in his latest mock draft, the same slot Doncic was drafted.
