Few people covering the draft have watched and analyzed prospects as much as The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie. Interestingly, few people covering the draft and prospects are as high on Ball as Vecenie as he’s long had Ball atop his draft board.
His post-lottery mock draft on Thursday evening slotted Ball third overall to the Charlotte Hornets, though he maintained he still thinks Ball is the most talented prospect.
Here is a section out of his explanation on Ball landing in Charlotte:
“The big question here is obviously about his efficiency. He’s not a great shooter right now, having hit just 28 percent of his 86 3-point attempts this past season. I think he’s probably slightly better than that as a shooter in terms of touch. While his decision-making as a passer is great, his shooting decisions leave a lot to be desired. There are some possessions where he simply makes a pre-determined choice and says that he’s going to pull up and take a shot, regardless of how the defense is playing. His floater game is strong and his finishing package isn’t terrible, but his lack of strength is a significant hindrance in how he plays through contact. As Ball gets stronger with age, I expect that he’ll really improve around the rim and in his ability to accept contact as a ballhandler when coming off ball-screens.”
The Hornets and Ball were not linked hardly at all prior to Thursday’s draft lottery given the Hornets standing coming into the lottery at the No. 8 spot. However, Charlotte general manager Mitch Kupchak was one of the few NBA executives to see Ball in-person for Illawarra last season.
The fit would be an interesting one as the Hornets do have some guards already, including one of the league’s most improved players this season in Devonte’ Graham. The team’s star free agent acquisition last summer also was a guard in Terry Rozier. But both of those players could play alongside Ball, which shouldn’t rule him out of contention to go third overall.
[lawrence-related id=25522,25520,25512]