The Warriors and LaMelo Ball ultimately do not appear to be a pairing that will come to fruition. Ball’s lack of fit with the franchise on-court is magnified by the perceived desire of Golden State to make a move that can help the team win now. Pair that with the reports coming out about the Warriors and the prospects they are high on and Ball falls further and further down the list.
However, it’ll still prove as one of the biggest talking points over the next months as it’ll continue to be an intriguing thought experiment. On paper, Ball fits into the Warriors style long-term but the franchise isn’t expected to have a long-term outlook on the draft.
Dorell Wright, a former Warrior himself, shared his thoughts recently on Ball, who he is a big fan of and has been for quite a while on the WarriorsWorld podcast (h/t Yahoo Sports).
“I’ve been a big LaMelo Ball fan since he was an eighth grader, I saw the potential a long time ago. I think he’s gonna be one of the better players in the draft.”
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“You talk about high basketball IQ, somebody that’s marketable, somebody that has a big upside. A lot of people are gonna be surprised.”
Wright also believes that Ball could fit into the Warriors roster, though he didn’t address the elephant in the room when it came to playing with both Klay Thompson and Steph Curry.
“I like it. The best thing about him is he’s always played with guys better than him. Most guys don’t get that opportunity. You usually dominate all high school and you’re always the best player (since) middle school.
“Even when he went to Australia, he was playing with guys a little bit better than him — a little more mature. So I think he fits in perfect with a team like the Warriors, who provide shooting (and) playmaking.
“He can play with the ball (or) without the ball. He definitely fits. He just has to buy in on the defensive end.”
Wright isn’t wrong about Ball “playing up” during his prep and professional career, something he himself acknowledged during his media availability for the 2020 NBA Draft Combine. He also notes that his playmaking and shooting, should he improve upon it, make him a natural fit in the system.
The problem comes with the fact that the Warriors’ two best players are also guards. At his peak, Thompson had enough versatility to play but coming off a serious knee injury and at the age of 30, would he still be able to keep up with the elite wings in the NBA? It’d be a tough ask and it’s a question the Warriors are going to need to answer internally as they approach draft night.