PSO Scouting Report: G LaMelo Ball

PSO’s original Scouting Reports strive to be uniquely valuable in evaluating a player’s future outlook by focusing on the four main subjects that summarize a player’s likelihood of succeeding at the next level including: Natural Athleticism, developed NBA-Caliber Skills, proven Production, and overall Risk that each individual player presents to a team drafting him. For a full breakdown of PSO’s Scouting Reports, click here.

Bio

Pos: PG/SG

Hometown: Chino Hills, California

Team: Illawarra Hawks (Australian NBL)

Class: International

DOB (Age): 8/22/01 (Age 19)

Height: 6’7″

Weight: 190 lbs.

Facts to Know

Scored 92 points in a game as a Sophomore at Chino Hills. The 2nd highest total in CA history
Youngest athlete ever with a signature shoe at the age of 16 made by his family company the Big Baller Brand
If selected in the top 3, LaMelo would make history with Lonzo as the 1st pair of brothers each taken top 3 of any draft

Athleticism

Pros

Excellent frame for modern NBA; big wingspan with potential to add muscle
Flashes of athletic instincts on both sides of the ball, good timing and anticipation
Very balanced when creating his own shot, goes off both feet and looks comfortable
Ridiculous balance and coordination to finish through and around contact in mid-air

Displays quickness in tight windows, has good wiggle/twitchiness

Cons

Needs to put on 20+ pounds to compete with physical guards, weight is too spread out at the moment
Below-average vertical explosiveness by NBA standards for his height
Lower body is very slender, which leads to problems when in the post on both sides of ball
Does not have one physical trait that he can lean on at the moment

Grade: B+

NBA Skills

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdN6R1t7lOc

Pros

As good of a basketball IQ as a prospect can have coming into the league
Knows how to make his teammates better, makes advanced reads and amazing passes
Great sense of touch as shown in his floater package, can take these from anywhere inside the arc
Insane finishes at the rim that makes even the most casual fan say “wow”
Improvises a lot while on the court, can score in variety of ways
Hits shots off the dribble or off-balanced that 99% of NBA players can’t do
Has shown Dame/Steph/Trae Young like range (Paul George would call these “bad shots”)
Excellent handles and dribbling package; Could be a top-3 NBA ball-handler within a few years
One of the best half/full court passers of any prospect ever; shades of his brother

Cons

Poor shot mechanics and awful selection; Needs to go to a team that fixes his ‘jacking’ tendencies
Below average effort on defense, simply not very engaged
Tries to over-create at times which leads to sloppy turnovers

Grade: A-

Production

Pros

1.9 ORB and 5.7 DRB; great on both the offensive and defensive glass, especially for a PG
Only 2.6 fouls per game, rarely gets in critical foul trouble
17.0 PPG, very impressive in a professional league for an 18-year-old
AST numbers (6.8 APG) will likely be 10+ per game at some point in the NBA
2.73 AST/TO ratio, does not hurt the team in this area
Biggest triple-double potential in the draft
Shooting %’s improved after a poor 6 games to start his international career (31% 3P vs. 16% 3P)

Cons

25% 3P is extremely low, especially for a guard who will shoot 6+ 3PA a game
37.5% FG would have been last (129th) in the NBA this season amongst qualified players
Low block numbers for his size at guard; should be elevated while guarding smaller players
Only 3.9 FTA per game, very low free throw rate need to get to the line more
Shooting percentages present a major concern to the point where it severely hurts the team and disrupts offensive flow
Only played 12 games against legit competition (not including HS or JBA league)

Grade: B

Risk

Pros

Knows NBA lifestyle and what it takes to be successful
Been in the professional spotlight his entire life
Major box office attraction due to play-style and his name
Clearly matured throughout the years
Has experience playing professional basketball
Natural tools and length to potentially be a high-end two-way player in modern NBA
Has the shooting and playmaking skills that gives him a MVP-caliber ceiling

Cons

Not enough strength to compete in the NBA right away
Has battled injuries throughout his career, probably due to skinny frame; Will he be driven to rehab hard?
Shooting percentages were atrocious, albeit in a small sample size
The “Lavar Effect” which caused a distraction for Lonzo in Los Angeles
His international team had the worst record in the league
Is he a winning player? Does he have the drive & mental toughness to win when it matters?

Grade: B+

Overall

Despite people’s previous perceptions about LaMelo Ball, there is no doubt he can hoop and has the potential to be a star in today’s NBA. There are a lot of areas for improvement, but he has already faced a ton of adversity in his career and shown the ability to ball at a high level in spite of it. The distractions that come along with LaMelo will be more of a problem for the team than for him since he has been in the spotlight since his freshman year of high school and knows how to deal with all that attention but of course that level of national exposure will be on another level, especially if he joins a big-market team like the Knicks.

However, despite the “baggage” that comes along with an already-made superstar like LaMelo, there is too much potential and understanding of how the modern game is played for a team to pass up on the youngest Ball brother because of off-court factors, none of which include any real red flags. He has the talent and upbringing to become one of the best players in the game, and his older brother proved he can also develop defensively once he gets coaching from NBA staffs.

Considering his ridiculous handle, finishing, and passing abilities at 18 years old, LaMelo Ball has as high of a ceiling as a prospect can have if everything goes right, with a future MVP award not out of the question. The team he’s drafted by is probably more important than any other prospect in this draft with a need for accountability, leadership, and a strong supporting cast to put Ball in that perfect position to thrive at the next level.

Pro Comp: Lonzo Ball (NOP)

Projected Round/Pick: Top-5

Prime Destinations: MIN (#1), CHA (#3), CHI (#4)

OVERALL Grade: B+