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Why the Atlanta Hawks Should and Shouldn’t Draft LaMelo Ball

By Dallin Duffy

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /
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Atlanta Hawks
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 25: Lamelo Ball of the Hawks drives to the basket during the round 8 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and the Cairns Taipans at WIN Entertainment Centre on November 25, 2019 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) /

Why the Atlanta Hawks Should Draft LaMelo Ball

1. The two-QB system would work

Trae Young and LaMelo Ball might be the best two pure passers in the league within the next five years. While some may question the point of having them both on the same team, it would make the Hawks’ offense awfully lethal. Rim-running bigs like John Collins and Clint Capela would love playing with two elite-level lob throwers while three-point marksmen would appreciate accurate and high-IQ skip passes.

2. More than a point guard

Despite dishing out head-turning dimes with regularity, Ball is not a pure point guard. Instead, he’s built in the same mold as Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons, as LaMelo can score inside and rebound as well as he can move the ball.

He averaged 7.6 boards per game in the NBL last season and would give the Hawks a shiny new weapon on the glass.

3. Floor to ceiling ratio

The 2020 draft class is full of boom-or-bust prospects that possess a risk to any team that drafts them. Ball has just as high of a ceiling as his fellow soon-to-be rookies but features a respectable level floor as well.

He already has an elite-level skill under his belt (playmaking) and plays a heads-up, veteran-like style of ball. The Atlanta Hawks, who are ready to reverse their losing ways, should appreciate this in a prospect.