NBA Draft: LaMelo Ball goes first in 2020 NBA Redraft

The Minnesota Timberwolves missed out on the top player in the NBA Draft, not by random chance but because they prioritized fit on a perennial lottery team rather than talent and upside. In doing so they took a teenager in Anthony Edwards who is clearly not the prospect that LaMelo Ball is. That being said, he showed during the back-half of his rookie year that he is still one heck of a prospect.

That’s why the Charlotte Hornets can’t get cute here in the redraft and take anyone other than Edwards. There is a clear top-3 in this draft, and Edwards is a strong consolation prize with Ball going first overall here.

He is a great scorer, even if his combination of explosion and fearlessness leads him to take shots that he otherwise shouldn’t. Once Minnesota’s other star-like players returned from injury his production took off. He is clearly better, at least right now, deployed as the second or third option within an offense.

Edwards’ athleticism and size mean he should be a reasonable defender one day if he puts in the work. He was an abysmal player in terms of efficiency, defense and on-off numbers as a rookie, which is not as exciting as the rise of Tyrese Haliburton or Immanuel Quickley. It is, however, secondary to the fact that Edwards is a truly special scorer, and the team that determines how to unlock him will be lucky indeed.

Here the lucky team is the Charlotte Hornets, who miss out on Ball but get a dynamic offensive piece all the same. He could play alongside Terry Rozier in a large backcourt or downshift to play small forward with Rozier and Devonte Graham. The Hornets likely would not have been as good this past season, but Edwards would give them upside for the future.