Who Drafts LaMelo Ball?

The No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is Georgia guard Anthony Edwards.

Wikipedia Commons

LaMelo Ball plays professional basketball in Australia.

Brett Cira, Reporter

LaMelo Ball, famous for his brother Lonzo and his father Lavar Ball, finally made it to the league. Some thought he would be picked number one, but got selected third to the Charlotte Hornets. It’s a good fit for Melo and he is expected to do big things in his career. The Charlotte Hornets are owned by the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, who will probably give a lot of advice over the next few years.

The 2020 NBA Draft took place on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and it was full of action. Teams did a good job of drafting and there were a lot of trades to go with their picks as well. Here is a rundown of some picks that may or may not work out for the team.

James Wiseman is an obvious one. He’s pretty easily the best big man in the draft. He did not get to play much at Memphis, but a 7’1, 240 lbs. big man is bound to be great. In high school, he won the Gatorade National Player of the Year and was a McDonald’s All American in his senior season. He tore up the few games he played in college. Look for him to do the same in the NBA.

The Orlando Magic took Cole Anthony at number 15, who is quite a popular name. He’s a 6-foot-3 point guard, son of Greg Anthony who had a pretty successful career of his own. Cole is a quick and explosive guard who is looking to make a big splash in the NBA next season. Can he live up to the hype?

Kansas Jayhawk center Udoka Azubuike was selected 27th by the Utah Jazz. At 7 feet, 270 lbs., he can develop to be something really special one day. Most players only play one year of college before moving on to get drafted, but Udoka has four college seasons under his belt. The big man could easily develop into a dominant center one day, the Jazz took a good player from the University of Kansas.

One team that didn’t have the best draft is the Phoenix Suns. They drafted forward Jalen Smith from Maryland. He’s a good player, but doesn’t really fit what the Suns need. Jalen is a big player and will be playing near the paint a lot. With Deandre Ayton and breakout rookie Cameron Johnson, there really wasn’t a need. It’s an interesting pick for sure, we’ll have to see what he does this season.

This was a pretty good NBA draft. There weren’t many big-name stars in this draft class other than Lamelo. We should have to expect a quieter draft after the 2019 class with Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Tyler Herro. It will really come down to who takes their game to the next level.


NBA.com’s Draft Results:

First Round

  1. Timberwolves draft Anthony Edwards (Georgia)
  2. Warriors draft James Wiseman (Memphis)
  3. Hornets draft LaMelo Ball (Australia)
  4. Bulls draft Patrick Williams (Florida State)
  5. Cavaliers draft Isaac Okoro (Auburn)
  6. Hawks draft Onyeka Okongwu (USC)
  7. Pistons draft Killian Hayes (Germany)
  8. Knicks draft Obi Toppin (Dayton)
  9. Wizards draft Deni Avdija (Israel)
  10. Suns draft Jalen Smith (Maryland)
  11. Spurs draft Devin Vassell (Florida State)
  12. Kings draft Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State)
  13. Pelicans draft Kira Lewis Jr. (Alabama)
  14. Celtics draft Aaron Nesmith (Vanderbilt)
  15. Magic draft Cole Anthony (UNC)
  16. Trail Blazers draft Isaiah Stewart (Washington)
  17. Timberwolves draft Aleksej Pokusevski (Greece)
  18. Mavericks draft Josh Green (Arizona)
  19. Nets draft Saddiq Bey (Villanova)
  20. Heat draft Precious Achiuwa (Memphis)
  21. 76ers draft Tyrese Maxey (Kentucky)
  22. Nuggets draft Zeke Nnaji (Arizona)
  23. Knicks draft Leandro Bolmaro (Spain)
  24. Bucks draft RJ Hampton (Australia)
  25. Thunder draft Immanuel Quickley (Kentucky)
  26. Celtics draft Payton Pritchard (Oregon)
  27. Jazz draft Udoka Azubuike (Kansas)
  28. Lakers draft Jaden McDaniels (Washington)
  29. Raptors draft Malachi Flynn (San Diego State)
  30. Celtics draft Desmond Bane (TCU)

Popular Names Drafted In The Second Round

  1. Mavericks draft Tyrell Terry (Stanford)
  2. Hornets draft Vernon Carey (Duke)
  3. Spurs draft Tre Jones (Duke)
  4. Warriors draft Nico Mannion (Arizona)
  5. Kings draft Kenyon Martin Jr (IMG Academy)
  6. Pacers draft Cassius Stanley (Duke)