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NBA Draft 2020: 5 best fits for LaMelo Ball

By Rucker Haringey

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 09: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks takes a shot during the round six NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre on November 09, 2019 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA - NOVEMBER 09: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks takes a shot during the round six NBL match between the Cairns Taipans and the Illawarra Hawks at the Cairns Convention Centre on November 09, 2019 in Cairns, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images) /
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LaMelo Ball doesn’t have the shooting skills that some NBA teams desperately need, but his passing ability would be a huge boost for these five teams.

There are quite a few teams that would love to add a high ceiling prospect like LaMelo Ball in the 2020 NBA Draft. He isn’t a perfect fit for teams that already have a ball-dominant guard, but anyone looking to fill that sort of void should be investigating what it might require to snag the younger Ball brother when this year’s draft finally arrives.

There isn’t a perfect prospect in this year’s draft class, which gives Ball a legitimate chance to become the No. 1 overall pick depending on which team wins the lottery. That also means that any team picking outside the top 10 is going to need to move up on draft night to secure his rights.

This piece will focus on the five teams who project to have a high pick and need a player like Ball to accelerate their respective rebuilds. General managers of the following five franchises should be scouting Ball extensively in the coming weeks.

5. Phoenix Suns

Ricky Rubio is a solid partner for Devin Booker in the Phoenix Suns‘ backcourt right now, but adding Ball to the mix would give Phoenix a chance to build the best backcourt in the league.

Booker has improved his ball-handling in recent years, but his efficiency can increase even more if the Suns front office can find a long-term backcourt mate to take away some of his playmaking responsibilities. That’s exactly what Ball does best. Putting the ball into his hands and using Booker to space the floor could make Phoenix’s offense too much for opponents to handle.

The defensive fit between the pair would be questionable, but there’s optimism that Ball can develop into a solid NBA defender over time. The offensive upside makes this a tempting proposition for the Suns. Ball and Booker could develop into their answer to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson if everything breaks exactly right. Even if it doesn’t, it would give the Suns one of the most interesting guard pairings in the league.

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