Why the Atlanta Hawks should and shouldn’t select Lamelo Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The grand question of the Atlanta Hawks’ 2020 off-season is how the team should acquire Trae Young‘s backcourt companion of the future. With a top-ten draft pick, tradeable assets, and plenty of cap space, they have three outlets to find one through.
The next question is who that backcourt companion should be, where the options are just as limitless. If they want to find a young guard for cheap, the draft is the best option to do so, and there are a handful of studs who could fit well in Atlanta.
Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Killian Hayes, and a few others could fit nicely next to Trae Young. One player that isn’t a hand-in-glove fit is LaMelo Ball, a player atop many pundits’ big boards.
Many have questioned Ball’s potential role in the Trae Young-led offense. His (incredibly) elite passing is his best quality, and Young has already established himself as one of the league’s best dimers.
Despite the iffy fit, the Hawks’ front office is apparently high on LaMelo, and see him as the best prospect in the class. Should they take him if they’re given the chance? That’s we’ll be looking at here, highlighting why and why not the Atlanta Hawks should draft LaMelo Ball.
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.
Why the Atlanta Hawks Shouldn’t Draft LaMelo Ball
1. Maybe He wouldn’t fit next to Trae
Drafting Ball and either forcing him to play backup to Trae Young or slide to a different position to play with him would not be taking advantage of his top-tier playmaking.
Their similarities don’t end on offense, however, which is a negative. LaMelo is not a naturally gifted defender like brother Lonzo, and while he has the athleticism and IQ to develop into a plus defender, the Hawks should want a more established defensive threat to pair with Trae.
2. He would “Help” the Hawks’ poor team shooting
Outside of Kevin Huerter, Trae Young, John Collins, and later-on-in-the-season Cam Reddish, the Hawks lacked consistent shooting from deep and need to surround their young stars with more of a perimeter presence on offense.
Ball has a funky release and shot just 25 percent from three in the NBL. With many players in the draft capable of shooting from high clips as rookies, LaMemlo’s lack of outside scoring makes it tough to say he’s worth a top-five pick.
3. Better options
The biggest knock on Ball’s fit in Atlanta is simply that there are better options at the top of the draft. He unquestionably has the potential to become an All-Star down the road, but if you have to squint to see a fit with Trae Young while others would slide right in smoothly, that’s a red flag.
Given the fact that’s he going to be a top-five pick, likely top-three, that’s a pretty big red flag to overlook, even if you believe he’s the best player in the class.
Should the Atlanta Hawks draft LaMelo Ball?