The New York Knicks are reportedly targeting a scoring point guard in the upcoming NBA draft, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Though this class isn't as loaded as in past drafts, the Knicks have quite a number of options to choose from. However, among all the possible prospects they can target, New York should make it a priority to nab LaMelo Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball is arguably the top prospect among the field of point guards in this draft. However, he is not the consensus first overall pick. Other top choices include Georgia shooting guard Anthony Edwards, Maccabi Tel Aviv swingman Deni Avdija, and center James Wiseman, among others.
Needless to say, should the ping-pong balls go New York's way and they somehow land the No. 1 overall pick come June, they shouldn't hesitate in investing their selection with the youngest of the Ball brothers.
The Knicks currently have the fifth-worst record in the NBA and have long been searching for their point guard of the future. The Frank Ntilikina and Dennis Smith Jr. experiments are going nowhere so far, and Elfrid Payton surely isn't going to cut it. They also aggressively pursued D'Angelo Russell at the February trade deadline, but they lost out on that as well.
With that said, bringing in a potential game-changer like Ball could finally be the answer to their laundry list of problems.
First of all, in terms of basketball, LaMelo is one of the most talented prospects in the 2020 class. Ball is an incredibly skilled passer and playmaker who could complement the games of Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett well. Likewise, at 6-foot-7, he brings in a lot of versatility and length at his position.
There are, however, questions with his shot selection as he tends to take a lot of floaters instead of going straight up with his shot. Likewise, his shooting is still a work in progress, but much like his brother Lonzo, that could easily improve over time and more reps.
So what separates LaMelo Ball compared to all the other top talents of this draft?
With more than two decades of mediocrity (that's being generous) in The Big Apple, the Knicks are in dire need of a star the franchise can build around. Ball could potentially be the blockbuster name they have been longing for since Carmelo Anthony.
LaMelo Ball is already a household brand and even at a tender age, he has become used to the spotlight. His name has already been floating around the NBA circles over the past couple of years as a high school standout. He would surely bring a lot attention to New York, and he would likely have no issues dealing with it.
LaMelo Ball is actually a pretty obvious choice for New York at this point. Aside from bringing a versatile guard with tons of star potential, the Knicks would also get a player who could take on the pressure of the bright lights of New York.
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