LaMelo Ball is considered by most to be a top-five pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, but he apparently is not leaving a great impression on team executives who have spoken with him.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer said during an appearance on 102.5 FM WFNZ radio this week that Ball has not done himself any favors during the pre-draft interview process. Ball said there are teams drafting later in the top 10 that feel like Ball could potentially fall to them because he has tanked his interviews.
“Here is what I’m hearing from the league at large: LaMelo Ball is not performing very well at job interviews,” Bonnell said, as transcribed by Jenna Ciccotelli of Bleacher Report. “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.”
Bonnell didn’t have any details about specific meetings, so it’s unclear why Ball has supposedly left NBA teams unimpressed. Either way, it would be shocking if he slipped outside the top five.
The Golden State Warriors, who pick at No. 2, are said to be warming up to the idea of drafting Ball. Some even think the Minnesota Timberwolves could take Ball first overall, though it sounds like they prefer to trade out of the spot.
There is no consensus top pick in this year’s draft, though most seem to feel Georgia’s Anthony Edwards is the best overall player. Unless Ball’s interviews revealed something truly shocking, we don’t see him tumbling very far down the board.
