Daily Knicks
Fansided

New York Knicks: A Scout and a Non-Believer Talk LaMelo Ball

By Michael DeStefano

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during warm up prior to the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - OCTOBER 24: LaMelo Ball of the Hawks looks on during warm up prior to the round four NBL match between the New Zealand Breakers and the Illawarra Hawks at Spark Arena on October 24, 2019 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 5
Next
Knicks
WOLLONGONG, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 04: LaMelo Ball of Illawarra Hawks interacts with a fan before the round 14 NBL match between the Illawarra Hawks and Melbourne United at WIN Entertainment Centre on January 04, 2020 in Wollongong, Australia. (Photo by Jaimi Chisholm/Getty Images) /

A scout and non-believer talk LaMelo Ball:

5. Are you concerned at all, regardless of team/city, that the distractions that come with being a Ball might affect him negatively?  And then you throw in NY, which was too lit for Joakim Noah and has chewed up and spit out PLENTY across all sports…why is LaMelo built for this? 

Nah, I’m not concerned. Reason being, he’s been in the spotlight and he’s still gotten better every year. On top of that he’s still underage, and he’s a pretty easy figure to spot out if he’s somewhere he shouldn’t be, haha.

But, yeah, he’s built for it because he’s been in the spotlight for years. Honestly, aside from that, I have no real reason to think he is…which I guess isn’t great, but on the flip side, I have no reasons whatsoever to think he isn’t.

COMPARISONS: I’ve pulled comps from across the internet – respond however you see fit.

Shaun Livingston (NBADraft.net): Ridiculous – LaMelo has a better handle, better vision IMO, and is way more aggressive shooting.

Ricky Rubio / Caris LaVert (Bleacher Report): Ricky is a better comp than LaVert because of the obvious passing similarities from vision to ability, flashiness, and offensive concerns, but LaMelo’s aggression shooting still sets him apart. LaVert I don’t see at all, though I’ve loved his game since Michigan and remain a big fan…it’s just an odd comparison, I think.

6’7 Jason Williams (multiple, including you): Yeah, I think this one is the best…though still not perfect. It’s the best because it captures the flash, passing ability, and a higher aggressiveness shooting off the bounce, but I think LaMelo has higher defensive impact potential due to size / versatility. LaMelo shoots a bit more, too, from what I remember.

Penny Hardaway (Complex): Lol, no. I know many reading this probably aren’t old enough to remember him, and to be fair, his early years I’ve only caught on rewatches, but this is a very bad comparison. 

Trae Young (CBSSports): Nope, though there are passing similarities – LaMelo’s height gives him the edge because he can see above defenses (and I think he’s more creative), and he’s a better defender than Trae (with more potential). On the flip side, Trae is a much better shooter, so it doesn’t work from that angle, either. 

Spencer Dinwiddie (NBA.com): No – Dinwiddie was more composed on both sides of the ball coming out of college, and LaMelo is far more skilled as a passer…like, way way way more skilled (and is a better ballhandler as well). 

Lonzo Ball (multiple): I can’t just say a few sentences about this one, so forgive me…but this is the worst comparison because a) it’s lazy, and b) they play nothing alike. LaMelo’s halfcourt game and passing ability blows Lonzo’s out of the water – those who remember Lonzo in college will know that he thrived in transition, which LaMelo does as well, but his half-court game, most notably in the PnR, was nowhere near as advanced as LaMelo’s. Lonzo is a good passer, but he’s a connecting piece in the halfcourt. LaMelo can be an offense unto himself in a PnR system because of his vision, creativity, and threat of the shot. I really don’t like this comparison at all. 

Home/Knicks Draft