Does anyone on this board want Ball at #1?

[BloopOracle]

I have seen plenty of Wiseman and trade down love here, I for the record am super high on Edwards, wishy washy on Wiseman, and holding my nose at Ball.

It seems like the vast majority of this board is either dead set on Wiseman/Edwards with the understanding that the other option is ok as well. But everyone seems to not want anything to do with Ball, even if he didn't have such a "public" family.

With there being so much time until the draft this year I have been able to do a once, second, and third time over on these 3 prospects. No matter how hard I try I just can't talk myself into Melo!

[Camden [enjin:6601484]]

I'd maybe think about him at 17. Does that answer the question?

[Hicks123 [enjin:6700838]]

While I love his creativity, I am not sure he is even top 3-4 PG in this draft.

[thedoper]

While I love his creativity, I am not sure he is even top 3-4 PG in this draft.

Yeah I think I'd rather have Haliburton.

[rapsuperstar31]

If he learns to shoot 40% from 3 and plays average defense he can be a star in this league. How often do average to bad 3 pt shooters learn how to shoot in the history of our franchise though. I don't think he gets there but if he does he can be special. I would not take him at 1.

[KG4Ever]

I don't want to keep the #1 pick if there are some good trade down alternatives, but if we had to keep it, I think Ball should be in the conversation, along with Wiseman, Edwards, Killian Hayes and Deni. I'm a slight Wiseman lean with Killian Hayes as my sleeper pick and trade down target since I think his chances of becoming a two way star are as good as anyone in the draft. I used to hate the Idea of drafting Ball with his poor shooting numbers, rep for poor defense and Ball family drama, but I think the Ball family drama is overblown and in a way being part of a basketball crazed family probably helps fuel his competitive desire. The big pluses of Ball are incredible court awareness, high baskeball IQ and great size for a point guard. Its hard to compare Ball's shooting numbers to college players as playing in the pro leagues is quite different (even Deni's numbers in the pros are weak, though if you look at his U19 numbers, he's a stud). I think Ball with his size, court awareness and competitive drive can develop into a plus defender. Big question mark for me is can his shooting improve.

[Monster]

I probably like Ball more than most but I've backed off him. I haven't honestly done a super deep dive into him but recently I asked myself the question...how does he compare to his brother Lonzo?

I liked Lonzo as a prospect but I thought his upside was way overrated. His jump shot was a bit of a question and I just didn't see the game for him to be a big-time scorer. I saw him as more of a bigger better shooting version of Rubio but not really a scorer. The thing Lonzo has going for him was his size (plenty big for a SG) and he actually played D. Ball statistically was a positive defensively right away in the NBA. That's a big deal at PG and Ball is big enough to be really versatile on that end which also means you have flexibility of who you can put next to him offensively. I thought Fox was more talented and had higher upside and quite frankly was the better shooter.

So Melo Ball is maybe a more creative player than his brother and longer. He is also skinnier and has the rep of a terrible defender. Neither guy had a great looking shot but Melo's is less bad looking but Lonzo made them for a full season in college. Ultimately is Ball really a guy that has the actual talent to become the leading scorer and distributor for a good NBA team? At this point I have to say I feel more skeptical about that than I was weeks and months ago when I was significantly more pro Ball. I still don't care about this family I think it's a very minor thing. What will Ball become a bigger flashier version of Michael Carter Williams or something? If the Wolves do end up with Ball the thing I will cling to is that he might the the most raw guy in the lottery because how little competitive basketball he has played the past what like 3 years. Maybe there is vast potential there but honestly I won't count on it and wouldn't if it was my job on the line. I know this isn't the way the league is going but I feel a lot better about the bigger guys in this draft than I do Edwards and Ball. Edwards would be easier to get excited about though. Honestly if I had to pick between Ball and Halliburton I'd probably pick Halliburton. I don't know if he will be a star either but he looks like a guy that could be a Lonzo Ball type player who I think can be a really effective guy for a team that is also a really good shooter. That has a lot of value. I wouldn't be picking that #1 or #3 but maybe soon after that depending on what assets I got to move down.

[Lipoli390]

I have seen plenty of Wiseman and trade down love here, I for the record am super high on Edwards, wishy washy on Wiseman, and holding my nose at Ball.

It seems like the vast majority of this board is either dead set on Wiseman/Edwards with the understanding that the other option is ok as well. But everyone seems to not want anything to do with Ball, even if he didn't have such a "public" family.

With there being so much time until the draft this year I have been able to do a once, second, and third time over on these 3 prospects. No matter how hard I try I just can't talk myself into Melo!

I have seen plenty of Wiseman and trade down love here, I for the record am super high on Edwards, wishy washy on Wiseman, and holding my nose at Ball.

It seems like the vast majority of this board is either dead set on Wiseman/Edwards with the understanding that the other option is ok as well. But everyone seems to not want anything to do with Ball, even if he didn't have such a "public" family.

With there being so much time until the draft this year I have been able to do a once, second, and third time over on these 3 prospects. No matter how hard I try I just can't talk myself into Melo!

I'm high on Wiseman band and wispy washy on Edwards (the reverse of you), but I'm with you holding my nose when it comes to Ball.

Edwards and ball both have elite strengths that could make either one or both NBA stars. Ball is an elite ball-handler and passer with a high offensive basketball IQ. He's also extraordinarily long for a PG. That combination makes him a potential star in my view. Edwards has a rare combination of explosive athleticism and strength/size along with a good handle and very nice set of skills. It's rare to find a SG with explosive athleticism and quickness wrapped in a lean 225 pound frame. He has a superb step-back and nice chance of speed and direction with the ball. All of that makes him a potential NBA star.

So what gives? They both have glaring negatives that overlap in part but not entirely. First, both are really poor, disinterested defenders. It's the disinterested part that concerns me the most. I always hold out hope for motivated defenders who simply need to overcome physical limitations or develop a deeper understanding of defensive technique. But disinterest is a character issue that tends to persist. Second, both were poor percentage three-point shooters. The difference is that Edwards has excellent shooting form and seemed to miss a lot because of poor shot selection while Ball has horrible shooting mechanics to go with his poor shot selection. I can see Edwards eventually shooting a much higher percentage simply by taking fewer and better shots with better spacing. But I have a hard time envisioning Ball fixing his thoroughly broken shooting mechanics.

I give the edge to Edwards based on his far-superior shooting mechanics and his personality, which appears to suggest that he cares. Moreover, Edwards' head coach at Georgia speaks highly of him as a talent as well as a person and teammate. Again, either one of these two could become a star. But I wouldn't bet on either one and, if I had to choose, I'd choose Edwards.