Detroit Pistons 2020 NBA Draft Profile: LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball is probably the most divisive prospect of the 2020 NBA draft. He’s also, most likely, the one with the highest upside. Is he a fit for the Detroit Pistons?

The Detroit Pistons are finally in a “full rebuild” mode and will be looking to select high potential players with their 2020 first-round pick. They currently have the sixth-best position right before the All-Star break.

LaMelo Ball is the brother of Pelicans’ point guard, Lonzo Ball, and son of media trouble maker, LaVar Ball. In this piece, we won’t be focusing on the drama as much as the prospect.

The soon to be rookie is one of the youngest players in the upcoming draft at 18.5 years old and he’s definitely a project. While he has some elite NBA skills at his size, he also has some glaring holes.

In 12 games in the Australian NBL, he averaged 17 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.5 turnovers in 31.3 minutes per game before a season-ending injury. His shooting percentages left much to be desired. He shot 45.8% on two-pointers, 25 percent on three-pointers and 72.3% on free throw attempts.

While his measurements are not officially confirmed yet, his height projects to be over 6’7″ and his wingspan over 6’10”. At this point, you have to keep in mind that he’s a point guard with elite-level play making ability.

That fact alone makes him a tantalizing prospect with a high ceiling. You don’t usually get primary ball handlers at that size and most of the best ones share that trait. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the combination of play making and size is enough to make one great.

So, let’s take a deeper look at his strengths and weaknesses and how he projects at the next level.