Potential No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, LaMelo Ball, is reportedly in danger of slipping in the draft due to unimpressive predraft interviews.
Here’s what Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer said in a radio interview on Charlotte’s 102.5 FM WFNZ, via Bleacher Report:
Here is what I’m hearing from the league at large: LaMelo Ball is not performing very well at job interviews. I’ve heard that from multiple sources. He is not improving his perception via job interview. There are people drafting later in the top 10 who were not preparing for the possibility of Ball still being around and, I’m not saying that he will be a top-three pick. I am saying that I know for a fact that there are teams later in the top 10 who are doing more research on him because they no longer think it’s a given he will.
Ball’s talents on the court are undeniable.
The 19-year-old, however, has not played a competitive game since Nov. 30, 2019 when he appeared for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian NBL.
There, he averaged 17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.7 steals in 12 games.
Ball most recently met with the Minnesota Timberwolves in Southern California, where team president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas attended.
He is also “tentatively” scheduled to interview with the Golden State Warriors early next week, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
There is also expectation that Ball will interview with the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls, who draft No. 3 and No. 4 respectively.
It remains to be seen if this recent report comes to fruition and if it ultimately does, it could really further shake up an already unpredictable draft.
