Timberwolves expected to use No. 1 pick on LaMelo Ball in surprising move

Could LaMelo Ball really go No. 1 overall to the Timberwolves?

The Minnesota Timberwolves hold the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and all signs have been pointing to Georgia guard Anthony Edwards ending up as the top selection. Gersson Rosas has been extremely tight-lipped about their plans for the draft, and that ambiguity could be a sign that they are planning on surprising the league by taking a look at the draft’s best point guard.

The latest rumors are suggesting that the Minnesota Timberwolves are focused on taking LaMelo Ball, who spent last season in Australia with the Illawara Hawks, with the top pick in the draft.

LaMelo Ball could be a very odd fit alongside D’Angelo Russell

If Minnesota holds onto the pick, they will almost assuredly take a perimeter scorer given the presence of Karl-Anthony Towns on the inside. Ball has plenty to offer teams picking in the top five, as his mixture of height, range, and killer instinct on the offensive side of the ball is truly exceptional. However, Minnesota happens to have a guard with an exceptional mixture of height, range, and killer instinct already in town in D’Angelo Russell.

The two have frighteningly similar game styles, which could make for an odd fit. When you have a generational talent at center, why deal with two different ball-dominant point guards instead of getting help on the wing? No one is doubting LaMelo’s offensive game, but is a second point guard with poor defense really what this team needs right now?

This could easily be a complicated smokescreen from a team that has considered trading the pick in an effort to accelerate the rebuild. However, the Timberwolves holding that picking, putting Russell and Ball in the same backfield, and trying to shoot the lights out is a plan so crazy that is just might work.