In the latest installment of his 2020 NBA Draft big board, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie kept LaMelo Ball at the top spot. Ball took the top spot in Vecenie’s big board in early April and has not relinquished that spot since.
Vecenie did not have anything specific to say about Ball in this big board but did have the following reasoning in his April big board piece for having Ball take the No. 1 spot:
“Having said that, if Ball reaches his ceiling, he has the most potential to be an absolute difference-maker. He’s the one with the most upside. He plays a critical position of value that is tough to find as a lead guard. Simply put, in terms of positional value, there is not a center worth taking at No. 1 overall in this draft. Due to how easy it is to find those players on the market, the only centers who should be taken at No. 1 are those who have a high likelihood of being All-NBA representatives.”
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski corroborated The Athletic’s Shams Charania’s report from earlier this month of the dates for the NBA Draft and the Draft Lottery. After a standout year in the NBL with the Illawarra Hawks, Ball is expected to be one of the top names to come off the board.