While the Ball family has blown a lot of smoke over the past couple of years, there is still some hope being held out for the youngest Ball brother, LaMelo. It is believed that LaMelo is the most talented of the three brothers and this upcoming season, he is in Australia to play for the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL. Essentially, LaMelo is looking to play professional basketball instead of going to the traditional college route. This means he will be entering the NBA with some money in his pocket and some experience playing against grown men.
Ball is expected to be a top-five pick in the 2020 Draft and Ball is already starting to prove his worth. Thanks to some footage coming out of the NBL preseason, it already looks like LaMelo is fitting in nicely. In the post below, LaMelo can be seen putting up 21 points during a preseason game, although he eventually fouled out. Thanks to his performance, he was able to lead the team to victory.
If LaMelo can keep up this pace for an entire season, there is a reason to believe he could move up to a top-three pick in the draft. He could even go number one if he ups his game even more. LaMelo's progress in the NBL will be an interesting storyline to track this season, especially as his brother Lonzo begins his journey with the New Orleans Pelicans.