With some luck or a trade, the New Orleans Pelicans might be in a position to unite the Ball brothers in New Orleans.
Happy quarantine time, fans of the New Orleans Pelicans. It has been three weeks since the win against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 8th and it has felt like an eternity.
We at Pelican Debrief are committed to bringing you coverage of the New Orleans Pelicans throughout the hiatus. It’s a little dose of normal for us and you guys.
In our first installment of the Pelican Debrief 2020 NBA Draft Profile, we’re looking towards the upcoming draft and who the front office might want to pair with Zion Williamson and the rest of the Pelican’s talented young core.
Today we’ll examine LaMelo Ball, Lonzo Ball‘s youngest brother and potentially the most talented of the Ball brothers.
After LiAngelo Ball’s China incident and subsequent withdrawal from UCLA by one LaVar Ball, the father Ball was able to find them overseas playing time in Lithuania before returning to the States to found the Junior Basketball Association (JBA).
After the lone season of JBA play, LaMelo played at the SPIRE Institute in Ohio before making his way to the Land Down Under and joining the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL.
Touted as a lottery pick off of pure raw talent and ability, the youngest Ball made a real name for himself in Australia.
Despite being sidelined by injuries and then opting out of the season to prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft, he was named NBL Rookie of the Year by a slim margin (49-44) in the voting.
A spree of triple-doubles and a killer instinct helped his cause in the NBL before returning to the States.
He will be one of the top draft picks in the 2020 NBA draft and is a unique player at the point guard position, one that the New Orleans Pelicans should consider if they buck the odds and get a top pick or decide to move up in a trade.
Ball has an intriguing set of skills but also a few glaring flaws.
LaMelo Ball’s Strengths
Ball’s offensive abilities are far more developed than Lonzo’s were at his age and his 12 games with the Hawks showed a sharp defensive twitch with 1.6 steals per game.
LaMelo would add another playmaker to the New Orleans Pelicans, and even now he is ready to lead the second unit.
LaMelo has similar size to his brother at 6-foot-7 which should give him the ability to see over defenders for passes that not many others see.
He is already a gifted passer, floor general and defender, and a Ball-Brothers backcourt would offer intriguing possibilities on both ends of the floor, especially defensively with their ability to guard larger opponents.
LaMelo has an off-the-charts basketball I.Q. and the instincts of someone who has been playing much longer.
Family and LaVar aside, a backcourt duo of Lonzo and LaMelo is a scary proposition.
Lonzo’s stellar court vision has been shown in his 19 games with Zion Williamson and mostly throughout his short NBA career.
Pairing that with the offensive prowess LaMelo has shown throughout his basketball adventures and you have a great one-two punch, especially if the Pelicans decide to move Jrue Holiday.
With Lonzo and LaMelo’s ability to see the court, the Pelicans would have two of the best passers in the NBA, which would lead to tons of dunks for Zion and open three-pointers for Brandon Ingram and the rest of the Pelicans’ shooters.
With Alvin Gentry’s history of helping develop guards (See Lonzo’s growth, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Holiday), and a need to get more pace to compliment today’s NBA game, the idea of LaMelo is captivating.
He gives an offensive weapon the Pelicans sorely need, a point production that can’t be denied, and a tenacity on offense that is similar to Russell Westbrook.
LaMelo would bring size, elite passing, the ability to get to the rim and defensive versatility to the second unit of the New Orleans Pelicans.
But he does have some question marks.
LaMelo Ball’s Weaknesses
Now… some questions on LaMelo are legit.
How ready is he after an odd path to the NBA?
How much of a weight does the potential of bringing LaVar into your city weigh on GMs and owners?
Can he learn to shoot?
Since Lonzo’s trade to the Pelicans, LaVar has been…. Quiet. Comments a while back on FS1’s Undisputed showed he is still the LaVar that America either loves or hates, but he is a lot more toned down and a little more humble.
An upside is that he hasn’t been a pain for the New Orleans Pelicans like he was with the Lakers, and David Griffin dealt with LeBron’s camp and that was probably a lot harder.
So LaVar shouldn’t be a deterrent to drafting his son.
Readiness? Who is ever truly ready? No one has really walked into the NBA ready-made since LeBron, D-Wade, and Carmelo Anthony in 2003.
The NBL and Australia has produced quality NBA players who have had great careers, Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills to name two.
Plus having played against pro basketball players, he has a bit more knowledge than those who went the traditional NCAA route.
The biggest question mark surrounding LaMelo is the same one that plagued his brother: can he learn to shoot?
In his small Australian sample size LaMelo shot just 37.5 percent from the floor and an abysmal 25 percent from 3-point range.
That didn’t stop LaMelo from chucking them up though, as he was still taking 6.7 attempts per game from long-range.
However, with shot-doctor, Fred Vinson already working his magic with Lonzo, it’s easy to imagine the same happening with his brother if he did end up with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Shooting is often slow to develop with young point guards and LaMelo has so many other skills to offset his current lack of shot.
LaMelo Ball is a sure-fire top-five lottery pick whenever the NBA is able to hold their draft, so the Pelicans would have to get lucky to get a shot at him, as they have just a 1.2 percent chance at the top pick and are only 1.7 percent to stay in the top-four.
A trade would almost have to be in order to get that high for the Pelicans, but if Griffin fancies the prospect of a killer backcourt duo of brothers to put on the court with Zion, BI, and Jaxson Hayes then, in the words of LaVar, let’s speak it into existence.