One of the main concerns for NBA scouts regarding LaMelo Ball has not been an on-court matter but instead of the court. Based largely on preconceived notions, some NBA scouts have raised concerns on Ball’s maturity.
Along with those concerns of his maturity, the presence of LaVar has also worried some scouts and executives in and around NBA teams. Both matters were recently addressed by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, a beat writer for the Minnesota Timberwolves. And not surprisingly, neither issue has seemed to amount to much.
“Scouts I talk to have been encouraged by LaMelo’s maturity. He still has a lot of developing to do as a player, but I haven’t heard teams express the kind of concern about inviting the circus to town with him that many did when Lonzo was coming in.”
Concerns of Ball’s maturity likely boil down how he first came onto the scene with Chino Hills. Once seen as a cocky teenager pulling up from half-court for Chino Hills when not cherry-picking for his 92-point game, Ball has come a long way.
All the reports from his season with Illawarra indicate the Ball was a hard worker that kept his nose to the pavement and didn’t create any sort of issues. However, first impressions are mighty hard to overcome.
Likewise with LaVar, there is now a track record of what to expect from him that should ease concerns. At his worst with Lonzo, LaVar did little more than jump on TV shows and yell for a few days before fading back into the background.
It all should add up to few concerns, if any, of LaMelo off the court when looking at him as a 2020 NBA Draft prospect.
