Few players are more uniquely qualified to discuss how LaMelo Ball’s season in the National Basketball League (NBL) translates to the NBA than Andrew Bogut. The former NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors spent this season with Sydney Kings.
Bogut found himself in the middle of the dramatic conclusion to the season as the Kings pulled out of the Grand Final against Perth amid concerns of the coronavirus, forcing the NBL’s hand. The league responded by awarding the league championship to the Wildcats, who held a 2-1 lead at the time of Sydney’s withdrawal from the series.
On Tuesday, Bogut took time to do a radio interview on San Francisco-based 95.7 The Game with Damon, Ratto & Kolsky. Bogut discussed pulling out of the NBL Final before giving a rather detailed scouting report on Ball.
“I saw a little bit of him. He played really well against us one game. He has a great ability to get into the paint from the guard position, can handle the ball very, very well and I think his passing and playmaking is at an elite level already. Obviously, his jump shot, which has been talked about a lot, will determine on how well he goes in his career. I think it’s very inconsistent from three and it’s kind of a herky-jerky shot that he’ll probably have to fix much like his brother has. His brother is shooting the ball very, very well with New Orleans this season.
“So, I think his playmaking and the way he runs a team for a guy that young really stood out for me. The defense has to improve but I think that’ll change with coaching and development in a good NBA program. But he’s looking at a chance to be a No. 1 pick or a top-five, top-ten pick. It’s great for our league to know that he came over here and played and we hope he does very, very well in the NBA.”
Ball only had one chance to play Sydney this season. In the contest, he tallied 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 shooting from range while adding eight rebounds, six assists and one steal. The Hawks, though, could not hang with the Kings and eventually fell 92-87. That game, though, would go down in the league’s history books after breaking the all-time attendance record, setting a new mark at 17,514.
The scouting report given by Bogut is rather precise. More than just the surface analysis about his jumper and his passing, Bogut notes how his defense will likely improve as he integrates himself into an NBA franchise with high-level coaches. Likewise, while there are concerns about his jumper, Lonzo’s improvements give signs for optimism for LaMelo.
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