The Warriors, like many other NBA teams, were unable to scout LaMelo Ball before his season came to an end prematurely due to a foot injury. By playing on the other side of the world, general managers, scouts and front offices couldn’t simply make a trip to watch him play.
But unlike other teams, the Warriors had made plans to go scout Ball. While those plans obviously had to be altered, The Athletic’s Ethan Strauss did report on Sunday that Warriors general manager Kirk Lacob still made a trip to Australia.
“Ball declared himself done with the NBL season shortly after Warriors assistant general manager Kirk Lacob’s made a fact-finding trip to Australia. With Ball, NBA teams will be working off of incomplete information, hoping to fill in the gaps through interviews with teammates and coaches.”
Ball has stayed involved and connected to the Illawarra Hawks even after being officially ruled out for the season. Whether the decision was made with the knowledge of NBA teams still planning trips to Illawarra is unknown but it’d be an added bonus if so.
As for the Warriors, Ball’s fit wouldn’t necessarily be great with the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson and Steph Curry already on the roster. But those players may not be on the roster come opening night of the 2020-2021 season.
It would be a great situation for Ball, joining a franchise with a history of winning. But it still seems unlikely at best considering his fit and the current makeup of the Warriors roster.
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