Re-draft’s are a fun way to truly analyze the strength or weakness of a draft class and see where teams selected a future bust for a future star.
Bleacher Report recently ran through a re-draft for 2020, having the 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball jump to the No. 1 pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and rightfully so.
Ball, who was picked by the Charlotte Hornets at No. 3, swapped positions with the actual No. 1 pick, Anthony Edwards.
Jonathan Wasserman of B/R explains:
“Anthony Edwards wasn’t a bad pick for the Minnesota Timberwolves. He just wasn’t the right one. It should have been LaMelo Ball all along, and that’s more clear after the first third of the season.
Ball has flashed similar scoring potential (13.8 PPG, 43.6% FG) to Edwards (13.7 PPG, 37.5% FG), which was supposed to separate the original No. 1 pick from everyone else. Meanwhile, his elite passing has immediately translated to high-level playmaking that’s missing from Minnesota’s 29th-ranked offense.
At 19 years old, he’s among the top 10 in the NBA in assist percentage (35.0%).
Questions about Ball’s shooting and defense presumably caused Minnesota to pivot elsewhere in the original draft. But those concerns now seem overblown, particularly with his jump shot, as Ball is making 1.6 3s on a respectable 33.9% shooting, and he’s hitting 79.4% of his free throws.”
Check out B/R’s full re-draft here.
