One of the few people to have experience both with the NBA and with the NBL and, specifically, LaMelo Ball, is current Sydney Kings head coach Will Weaver. As a coach, Weaver spent time with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets as an assistant before spending a season as the head coach of the Long Island Nets, a G League side.
In March of 2019, Weaver took over as the head coach of the Kings, leading the team to a 20-8 record and a spot in the Grand Finals. As a result, Weaver is uniquely positioned to give his take on Ball when it comes to the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft.
On the Wingspan Podcast, Weaver compared Ball to some big names in the league already (h/t Nets Daily).
“I think there are not a lot of people of LaMelo’s size and quickness that can play the game as he does at his age. Anthony Davis was really good as a senior in high school. Zion Williamson was really good as a senior in high school and that is what we are really looking at with LaMelo and this thing. Those guys tend to end up being really good when they are 24 year-olds, 28 year-olds, and 32 year-olds.”
Ball’s basketball IQ, size and skill does make him a special prospect at his age, though it’s lofty to compare him to the likes of Williamson and Anthony Davis. Realistically, given what Davis is doing in the NBA Finals and throughout the postseason, it’s lofty to even compare Williamson to him.
Nonetheless, Weaver’s point largely relies on how good those prospects were at a young age, which does apply to Ball. The way Ball has handled being in the national spotlight from a young age is a sign of his maturity as well, which is another positive.
Weaver is the second person associated with both the NBA and NBL to have strong, positive words on Ball with Andrew Bogut, who played under Weaver this season. Considering that few people would know the two leagues better than those two players, it’s a huge positive for Ball’s future that both have been complimentary of him.
