LaMelo Ball just made his debut for the Australian Illawarra Hawks, but the real question is for the NBA. How good is LaMelo actually? #NBA #LaMelo Second Channel-
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LaMelo Ball has always been in the spotlight since his freshmen year of highschool, and now he’s finally out of high school, all 6’ 7” of him. The question is how good is LaMelo Ball actually?
We all remember the 15 year old taking over the nation, the kid that was supposed to go the UCLA, that was supposed to be one of the best in his class and he still is, right? We’ve lost touch with LaMelo, he went overseas, he played in the JBA, he just played his first game for the Australian Illawarra Hawks. With some mock drafts putting LaMelo as a top 10 pick while other drafts having him as a second rounder. Lonzo recently said that LaMelo was the most talented out of the ball brothers so let’s look at his game and just what he has to offer.
LaMelo Ball is somewhat of a mystery due to his circumstances. He started off in high school on an undefeated season in his freshmen year with both his older brothers Lonzo and LiAngelo. We all saw how he was special for his age, he could keep up with the juniors and seniors of high school basketball. In his sophomore year is when he exploded. Without Lonzo, LaMelo was given the keys to the team so we could really see what LaMelo could do and man did he not disappoint, he scored 92 points in a game, he even did this. He grew to 6’ 2” and LaMelo was pulling from everywhere, but there were concerns. There were times where he was too trigger happy, like in the state semi-finals when he shot 8 of 33 and missed 20 threes in a loss. I mean from the outside we all saw this kid goofing around, but he was just 15, so it makes sense. LaMelo was the most famous 15 year old in the nation. And then comes LaVar Ball. LaVar pulled out LaMelo from high school and put him overseas in Lithuania with LiAngelo.
So that’s why his last season in SPIRE institute was so special. LaMelo could compete with his peers, with the right competition that could be properly assessed. LaMelo has also grown to 6’ 6” and yeah he took some deep 3s, yeah he still had the razzle dazzle handles, but there was something different. There was calmness. His handles aren’t just flashy anymore, they were slow and more deliberate. Something that LeBron and Harden like to do. There are times where he is patient in finding an opening rather than rushing. LaMelo took shots in rhythm. He was capable of assessing the whole defense and deciding what was the right thing to do. With his now 6’ 7” height, it’s almost impossible to block him at that point guard spot. His jumpshot is also a quick release. But even I have to admit, this is something that I think could translate to the NBA, but something I’m not counting on.
Surprisingly that’s not the best part of LaMelo’s game. It’s his vision and floor general abilities. LaMelo has always made flashy passes in the fastbreak, but now it happens in the fastbreak and in a half-court setting. There are just plays where he finds his teammates out of nowhere. While LaMelo loves to shoot from deep, he also drives to the rim frequently. He finds teammates in stride, for their timing in the right pocket for them to easily shoot. He sees people in his peripherals and draws defenses in to create something for his teammates. He creates the opportunity and then acts on that opportunity. He’s a willing passer. That’s what makes him special, because he’s reading and reacting. Again, now he’s 6’ 7” and he’s a point guard. He would be the third tallest point guard in the league today behind Ben Simmons and the Goat Isaac Bonga.
On top of that, he’s one of the more creative finishers in high school. For a guy with not a lot of air time, he does a lot in the air. He’s able to stay in control despite moving the ball in different directions while in the air. A lot of times he’s deciding whether to pass or shoot while in the air, reading the defense, and then making the right play. So how good is LaMelo? LaMelo has size that you can’t teach for a point guard, special vision, deep range, and a good finishing ability. He definitely is worthy of a top 10 pick. Anytime you can get a 6’ 7” floor general that can shoot, that’s someone you can’t pass up. If he dominates overseas, I gotta think that he’ll be a top 5 pick. The NBA has seen the likes of Luka Doncic just take the league by storm and so the value of international play has gone up. Look past the early 15 year old LaMelo to the 18 year old LaMelo and it’s easy to see that LaMelo Ball is special. But what do you think? Will LaMelo be a top 10 pick? Will LaMelo be special in the NBA?
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