Projecting Where LiAngelo Ball Will Be Selected After 2018 NBA Draft Lottery
The Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks will comprise the top three picks at next month's NBA draft following Tuesday's lottery in Chicago.
And none of that should be of concern to LiAngelo Ball as he tries to lock down a spot in the Association.
Although Ball formally declared for the draft in March, the 19-year-old has remained on the outskirts of the second-round discussion over the past two months.
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For starters, Ball was never a heralded prospect coming out of high school. A former 3-star recruit at Chino Hills, Ball clocked in as the 226th-ranked player in the class of 2017 and the 50th-ranked shooting guard among that group, according to 247Sports.
Plus, Ball never played a single regular-season game at the collegiate level after he left UCLA following a shoplifting scandal in China.
That split allowed Ball to gain a year of professional experience in Lithuania with Vytautas Prienu of the LKL alongside his younger brother, LaMelo. There, Ball averaged 12.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and less than an assist per game on 42.5 percent shooting from the field, including 40.7 percent from three.
Given that circuitous route to the draft pool, it's no wonder Ball has been labeled a long shot to land inside the top 60 on draft night.
According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, there's "no chance" Ball will be drafted—a sentiment that was reportedly true before he left college.
"He's not on any of our scouting lists—even the extended lists," an NBA general manager told Wojnarowski.
B/R draft expert Jonathan Wasserman added: "Not one scout Bleacher Report has reached out to thinks Ball has a chance to play in the NBA anytime soon."
Assuming all of that intel holds true, Ball will be headed for the undrafted free-agent pool in June.
And once he lands there, his camp will have to put on a full-court press to try to land him a spot on a summer league or G League roster before deliberating the viability of another stint overseas.
