As more and more mock drafts hit the internet after Thursday’s NBA Draft Lottery, it is becoming abundantly clear that LaMelo Ball will be one of the first names to be called on draft night.
Ball’s stock has steadily risen as October’s draft date nears. While mock drafts from DraftExpress and Stadium slated Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who won Thursday’s lottery to land at the No. 1 spot, not everyone has Ball as the top pick.
Yahoo Sport’s Krysten Peek slotted Ball to the Golden State Warriors with the No. 2 pick in her first post-lottery mock draft.
“Ball is the younger brother of Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and has a tight handle and great size. He is a phenomenal passer, especially in the pick-and-roll, and averaged 6.8 assists per game for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia. He has had one of the craziest roads to the NBA, playing two years at Chino Hills High School in California before his dad, LaVar, pulled him out of school to play a year in Lithuania. Then he came back to the states and played one year at a prep school before heading to Australia. The Warriors could trade this pick because they have an elite backcourt and are in win-now mode.”
The Warriors will have one of the most interesting decisions in the draft this season as they weigh drafting a player for the future versus trading the pick to contribute to their championship window, if it’s still open. Their decision as to who to pick became slightly easier with the Wolves landing the No. 2 pick, taking some of the deliberations out of their hands.
If they keep the pick and draft Ball, he would fit in like a glove into the team’s system, even if he doesn’t fit quite as seamlessly with their current backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
