Lonzo Ball has yet to live up to his father's boasts about imminent NBA superstardom. Still, his oldest son's comparatively slow acclimation to the league certainly hasn't temped LaVar Ball's expectations for his youngest son, LaMelo.
During a Monday appearance on ESPN's First Take, the Ball patriarch predicted that LaMelo would be the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
“LaMelo is going to be, watch me dance again, the No. 1 pick, 2020,” he said. “‘Cause he's that good. He's that good. I can't wait for a team to say, ‘You know what? I ain't gonna pick a 6'8” point guard who's young, who put people in the seats. I'm not gonna pick him No. 1.' I guarantee you do, 'cause he's that dude. That dude. No. 1.”
LaMelo Ball is broadly considered a top-25 prospect in the high school of 2019. ESPN's Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz currently project him as the 33rd overall pick in their 2020 mock draft, obviously a far cry from No. 1. Ball has a chance to drastically improve his stock, however, should he prove capable of making an impact while playing professional basketball in China or Australia next season. Long knocked for his ball-hogging and abhorrent shot selection, he has the size, athleticism, long-range shooting potential, and natural court vision to emerge as a worthwhile player overseas if he buys into the team concept.
Lonzo Ball, of course, was a far more heralded prospect than his younger brother. The No. 2 overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft, he's included in the blockbuster trade that will send New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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