NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft

For many drafts, the best player chosen is taken first overall. For others, the best player comes out of nowhere; without spoiling future redrafts, the 2013 Draft (Giannis Antetokounmpo) is an example. For a small number, the best player in the draft is identified ahead of time by many analysts, and the team choosing first simply takes someone else. That happened in 2018, and it happened again in 2020.

While not a consensus, the vast majority of draft analysts ranked LaMelo Ball first in the class. Whether because of the presence of D’Angelo Russell or from concerns about Ball’s family or demeanor, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Anthony Edwards first. With the second pick the Golden State Warriors, with a Hall of Fame backcourt in place, took center James Wiseman. That meant Ball fell to the Charlotte Hornets at three.

Coming into his rookie season, Ball was seen as a ball-handler with size who was an elite passer from the jump. He was expected to struggle in gaining separation and shooting from outside. Instead of performing to expectations Ball was excellent right out of the gate, helping to spur a Hornets playoff push before he and Gordon Hayward missed time with injuries.

As a teenager Ball contributed to winning basketball, a rarity for one-and-done NBA draftees. He shot 35.2 percent from deep on a robust 5.1 attempts per game, turning an expected weakness into an average skill. He proved capable enough defensively to allow the Hornets to play 3-guard lineups with Ball, Devonte Graham and Terry Rozier, three nominal point guards.

Ball needs to continue to improve as a scorer to be on a true superstar trajectory, but he has been very good right from the jump. Even missing 21 games he won Rookie of the Year over Edwards, and his plus-1.9 Box Plus-Minus (BPM) was far and away the best mark in the class. Ball averaged a cool 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, and those numbers should only go up moving forward.