2020 NBA Draft: How top prospects could fit with the Washington Wizards

LaMelo Ball

Scouting Report:

The first thing you notice when watching LaMelo Ball play is his flare. There will be three or four plays during each game that make you go, “Wow!” With LaMelo, it’s not all flash. He has a tremendous skill set that could benefit most, if not all, NBA teams.

LaMelo is an unbelievable ball-handler. He is the best ball handler in this draft class and always seems to use his handle to his advantage. His ability to get to the rim off the dribble is unmatched, and he always seems to be one step ahead of the defense.

To go with Balls ball-handling is a jump shot that can keeps defenders honest. Currently, he is not knocking down triples at a very high rate over in Australia. However, this should not be too alarming. Ball’s a volume shooter, and sometimes, that means misses pile up.

LaMelo has shown the ability to be a serious knockdown shooter once he can get going, though. His mechanics need a little bit of work, but if he can be the shooter we have seen him be in spurts, he could be deadly.

His basketball IQ, like Anthony’s, is very high, and Ball also uses this to his advantage. He has shown a knack for finding small openings and looking to feed his teammates when needed. Despite all the attention Ball has received for years, he’s far from a selfish player, and spreads the wealth on offense.

He is also currently playing overseas against grown, professional men. It sure seemed to help Luka Doncic.

And we can’t forget his size. At 6’7 and 180 pounds, Ball is the size of a wing but plays as a primary ball-handler. LaMelo’s combination of size and skill could be dangerous once he leaps the NBA. Ben Simmons is the comparison that comes to mind.

As far as weaknesses, the one major flaw in Ball’s game is his motor on the defensive end. It has been well documented since his high school and AAU days that he doesn’t always look too interested on defense. A lot of people are familiar with the game when Ball dropped 92 points, which is insanely impressive. However, LaMelo cherry-picked and barely crossed half court all game

Overall, LaMelo is another top player in the draft class, and his knack for playmaking is something that could help any team that may end up drafting him. But his motor does raise some concerns.

Fit with Washington Wizards:

As far as fitting in with the current Wizards team, it would be interesting for Ball. LaMelo’s playmaking abilities immediately make everyone on the floor better. As a primary ball-handler, he gives everyone the chance to work playing off of him.

His craftiness in the open floor and ability to find teammates will force defenses to pay a lot of attention to him, which will give more opportunities to guys running the floor. Thomas Bryant would be able to flourish in the pick and roll. Rui would be able to find his shot in the mid-range with ease. Troy Brown would be able to slash the way he wants, and Beal could develop a nice drive and kick chemistry. All of these things are possible with Ball running the point.

Ball has all of the ability to play to all of his teammate’s strengths, especially with the foundational pieces the Wizards currently have. If he took on the role of a distributor, he could mesh well with the Wizards.

This team is already awful defensively, and Ball wouldn’t help them on that side of the court. And it’s unclear how a talent and ego like LaMelo Ball would work alongside a returning John Wall.

Both are very high usage type of players who both need the ball in their hands to be maximum effective. However, if Ball can consistently knock down threes like most believe he can, he could be a secondary playmaking sidekick for Wall.

Overall, Ball would be an interesting fit in DC, but not a seamless one. It would take a little game planning and strategizing to mesh his skill set with the Wizards roster. However, if LaMelo is on the board, it would be tough to justify passing on his talent. From Gilbert Arenas to John Wall to potentially LaMelo Ball.