Michael Jordan, who now owns the Charlotte Hornets, got his wish, as his number-three pick in the NBA Draft came up and the player he wanted all along was still there waiting for him.  LaMelo Ball is going to play for the Hornets when the NBA season gets started on December 22.

This is just one of the many outcomes that were seen as the NBA Draft wrapped up yesterday.  The upcoming season is now only a month away.

The NBA Draft Is A Wrap

The number-two pick was for the Golden State Warriors, who chose big center, James Wiseman.  The first overall pick went to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who made the slightly controversial pick of Anthony Edwards.  Edwards is a 6’5’’, 220-pound guard hailing from Atlanta who played only one year of NCAA basketball at the University of Georgia.  He will be joining All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and point guard D’Angelo Russell as a Warrior and, last year as a freshman, Edwards led all Division I freshmen by scoring 19.1 points per game, ultimately becoming the SEC Freshman of the Year.

After a less than stellar season playing for the Bulldogs, Edwards was obviously happy to get the number-one call.  He told reporters, “It is an indescribable feeling.  My family is emotional.  I feel like when I get off of here, I am going to be emotional.  I am just blessed beyond measure to be in this situation.”

Each of the top three guys selected had been projected to go number one in the 2020 draft, but it came down to who was the best positional fit for the Timberwolves.  Edwards is a long range sharpshooter which has been lacking on the Minnesota squad and he is exceptional at driving to the basket.

Gersson Rosas, the president of basketball operations for the Timberwolves, said about his interviews with Edwards before the draft, “We really challenged him on who he’s been to this point and what he’s going to become into the future.  The passion for who he wants to become is something that we’re excited about.”

Wiseman Will Have To Step Up

Wiseman had a rough last year at the University of Memphis, fighting eligibility issues and then being suspended for 12 games due to an unspecified violation of team rules.  As a result, he only got to play in three games for the Tigers which must have been frustrating for the 7’1’’ center, who is now ecstatic to be playing alongside the Warriors Draymond Green in the Golden State frontcourt.

Wiseman told sports reporters in a recent interview, “I’m ready to go into Golden State with a great mindset, with a different mindset, ready to go in there and just learn as much as possible, grow my game and just adapt and just work my tail off.”

Injuries to the Warriors two top players kept the team out of contention last season, but one, Stephen Curry, reported as being ready to go for the December 22 starting date for NBA action this year.  However, Klay Thompson injured his calf in practice recently and is scheduled for an MRI to determine if it is a strained or torn Achilles.

LeMelo Ball Joins Big Brother Lonzo In The NBA

LaMelo Ball, who has an older brother playing for the New Orleans Pelicans, has had a long and winding road to get to the NBA.  He first played in Lithuania and then in Australia with the Illawarra Hawks, where he averaged 17 points per game with 7.5 rebounds and 7 assists.  He is now going to the Charlotte Hornets.

Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said about LaMelo Ball in an interview after the draft, “He’s a very young, talented player who plays the kind of pace that we like to play.  He has a flare to his game that maybe has some entertainment to it.”

Florida State forward Patrick Williams ended up going to the Chicago Bulls as the number-four pick.