[jwplayer J7g8OMFy]
Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen said recently that he believes LaMelo Ball will end up with the Minnesota Timberwolves and be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
The Timberwolves were awarded the top pick on Thursday in the NBA Draft Lottery. The team finished with the third-worst record in the NBA prior to the season suspension in March and was one of three teams with a 14% chance of landing the top selection.
Ball is among the prospects in contention to become the No. 1 overall pick after a strong season abroad in Australia. He was named the NBL Rookie of the Year after averaging 17 points, 7.5 rebounds, seven assists and 1.7 steals in 12 games with the Illawarra Hawks.
Ball has proven to be an elite passer on offense, which is a big reason why he is an intriguing prospect to consider. The 19-year-old has perhaps as much talent as any prospect in the draft and is a leader on the court and why Pippen has him going No. 1 overall, via Christian Rivas of SB Nation.
Here’s Pippen’s full quote on Melo. The Timberwolves won the No. 1 pick in the draft yesterday: pic.twitter.com/o0VzIlZnLc
— Christian Rivas (@RadRivas) August 22, 2020
The NBA Draft is tentatively scheduled to take place on Oct. 16 but there is a growing number of executives that believe it could be pushed back due to salary cap reasons. However, once the draft does take place, Ball appears to be a strong candidate to hear his name called first.
[lawrence-related id=21776,21772,21676]
[vertical-gallery id=14282]