LaMelo Ball’s time on the court in Australia in the National Basketball League could have hardly gone better for the youngest Ball sibling. Ball has proven his value to a team and franchise, proven to be able to lead a team and proven to be more than just a scorer.
In the process, he’s moved into the discussion for the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. That fact has made the return from his current foot injury a worthwhile debate. With little more to prove in his case for the No. 1 pick and his team far at the bottom of the standings, many feel Ball should pack it up and head back to America.
In Sports Illustrated’s latest mock draft from Jeremy Woo, it was revealed that many in the NBA feel that Ball’s time in the NBL is done.
The expectation around the league is that Ball won’t play another game for Illawarra after injuring his foot in December. There’s not much reason for him to risk things, and his audition as a top pick has been successful, though his poor shooting percentages seem likely to preclude him from being the No. 1 pick.
The latest update on Ball’s injury came last week from DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony who reported that Ball was still multiple weeks away from being out of a walking boot. Simply from a timeline aspect, Ball would be against the clock to get back on the court before Illawarra’s last game on Feb. 14.
The safer argument would be for Ball to not rush back to help a team that is now six games out of the playoffs. Instead, it’s more likely that he heads back to America at season’s end to complete his rehab before taking part in pre-draft workouts this spring.
LaVar Ball’s recent comments about LaMelo only returning once he’s at 100% adds more fuel to the idea that he won’t be playing again for Illawarra this season. There likely will not be an official word on LaMelo’s status until closer to season’s end, leaving plenty more time for speculation.
