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2020 NBA Mock Draft, 1.0: LaMelo Ball gives the Warriors a boost

By Zach Hood

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 30: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - NOVEMBER 30: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /
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AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 31: RJ Hampton of the Breakers reacts in the dressing room ahead of the round 18 NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Adelaide 36ers at Spark Arena on January 31, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND – JANUARY 31: RJ Hampton of the Breakers reacts in the dressing room ahead of the round 18 NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Adelaide 36ers at Spark Arena on January 31, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /

6-foot-5 | G. 10. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. USA. R.J. Hampton. player. 66

Hampton may be the best athlete of all of the point guards in the draft, possessing a crazy combination of speed and lift. At just 18, he could take some time learning behind a facilitator like Ricky Rubio and become a more cerebral player. He was a pick-and-roll ball-handler much of the time in the NBL, and could start his career in a bench role running simple actions like this. His fit next to Devin Booker is questionable if he doesn’t develop a better jumper, but Hampton’s upside is hard to pass on at this stage of the lottery.

Phoenix is one of those teams multiple guys already locked into in their long-term starting lineup (Booker, Ayton, Bridges), so adding a high-upside guy at a position where they really only have a veteran right now might make sense. Hampton would take a while, but he might be worth the wait with his explosiveness and all the freedom of movement in the NBA.

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